


Tokyo Ghoul: Baby Boom

by tsubxsa (IceKrystal13)



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Abuse, Abusive Relationships, Angst and Feels, Blood and Gore, Body Horror, Cannibalism, F/F, F/M, Family, Ghouls, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Multi, Mutilation, Pregnancy, Psychological Horror, Psychological Torture, Psychological Trauma, Tokyo Ghoul: re, Torture, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-19
Updated: 2015-10-30
Packaged: 2018-03-24 16:47:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 24,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3776017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IceKrystal13/pseuds/tsubxsa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aogiri Tree has come up with the plan to create the ultimate weapon—as in, Tatara and Eto will come together to have the most powerful ghoul hybrid child, in hopes to utterly destroy the CCG and take over Tokyo, and eventually the rest of the world. The CCG, catching onto this, devises their own plan. And sadly, Haise and Touka are dragged into this when Touka becomes pregnant with their child. It seems like it's time for the second generation of the Quinx Squad.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Accident

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, so this was basically spurred on by a bunch of crack in the TG rp community on Tumblr, and it eventually escalated to everyone making kids for their characters. So I decided to go and make a canon for "TG: Baby Boom". It will come in story arcs, and hopefully it will do the original manga justice! Though I will warn you, there will be a lot of inside jokes from the rp community, so it may seem kinda crazy and times. Anyways, please enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Touka has a big secret to tell Haise.

_Saturday, January 16, 2016._

She sat on the edge of the closed toilet seat, feeling the cool porcelain even through her shorts, waiting nervously for the timer on her cell phone to go off. Touka chewed on her bottom lip, fighting the urge to fidget nervously. Yoriko was outside, waiting for her to finish up, so they could get the highly anticipated answer.

And as she was sitting there, she couldn't help but think back towards how she had even gotten into this situation.

* * *

_She had been dating Sasaki Haise for about a year, and they had since become intimate. However, there was one particular night that came to mind when considering how this came to be. Haise was spending the night at her apartment, as they did from time to time._

_However, it was late at night, and they had been fast asleep. That was, until Haise jerked up awake, drenched in sweat.  Touka was startled awake, blinking blearily as she slowly pushed herself up to see what was wrong. Haise was trembling, a hand pressed up against his eye, sweat plastering his hair to his forehead._

_“...What’s wrong?” she asked, reaching out to gently place her hand on his shoulder._

_He didn't respond right away, just sitting there, traumatized but whatever the problem was. When he finally spoke, his voice was wrought with painful emotions._

_“...I had… another nightmare—about, you know… the other me.”_

_Eyes widening ever so slightly, Touka glanced down. Of course… For who knew how long, Haise had been plagued by nightmares about his life as Kaneki Ken. Saying nothing, she just slipped her arms around him, resting her chin on his shoulder._

_“It’s okay… That’s not who you are,” she said softly. “The past is in the past.”_

_He shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut and pushing her away. “No, Touka—in this nightmare, I…  hurt you. I just… snapped, and I… I…”_

_Unable to say anymore, he pulled completely away, pushing back the covers and sliding to the side of the bed. Touka hesitated, before scooting after him. For a moment, they both sat in silence, neither saying a word._

_“What… What if I do hurt you, Touka?” he whispered, his voice so faint it was barely audible._

_She said nothing at first, just quietly placing her hand over his own. “You won’t, Haise. I trust you.”_

_He turned his head, finally meeting her gaze, his one eye dark with kakugan, the red pupil especially looking pained, as tears began to slowly stream down his cheeks. There was so much agony in that look, Touka couldn’t take it anymore. She wanted to take all his pain away, to just save him from all the horrible emotions she was feeling. With those thoughts in mind, she grabbed him by his t-shirt, and smashed her lips to his._

_And that was how it all started…_

* * *

Her phone went off, snapping her out of her thoughts. She quickly turned it off, before setting it down on the sink counter. She started to reach for the test that was also sitting on the counter, only to hesitate. She wanted to know—she needed to know the truth. Taking a deep breath, she picked it up, and took a look.

Two pink dashes.

Breath hitching, all Touka could do was stare. That meant… t-that meant...

Suddenly, there was pounding on the bathroom door, making her jump. “Touka-chan, you've been there in a while! Are you done yet?”

Saying nothing, she just stood up, and went to open the door. There was her best friend, looking at her with concern. With a sigh, Touka just showed Yoriko the test. The young woman’s eyes lit up, and she let out a happy squeal, jumping up and down before glomping her friend in a hug.

“Oh my gosh, this is so awesome! You and Haise-kun are going to be parents! Oh, I’m going to be an aunt!”

Touka just pushed her friend away, shaking her head. “I-I don’t know…”

Yoriko frowned. “What do you mean? Wait, you’re not going to keep it? But you and Haise-”

“I don’t know, okay?!” she snapped, a scowl tugging at her lips. “I’m only… I’m only twenty-one. I’m in college, and I help run :Re… I have a hard enough time juggling all of that, much less adding a baby into the mix…”

There was more to it than that, but none of it could be told to a human like Yoriko. There was so much more, from the fact that she was a ghoul, and Haise was an artificial half ghoul working with the CCG. Would the baby even survive? What if the CCG found out?

Her greatest fears were coming into fruition. She was scared—absolutely terrified—that any child of hers  would end up orphaned and all alone, just like she and her little brother had, along with many other ghouls.

But of course, she could tell Yoriko none of this.

“At least talk to Haise-kun about this, right?” the other girl asked. “I mean, he’s the dad. He deserves to know, yeah?”

Touka sighed, folding her arms over her chest. “I will… I… I’m just… scared, Yoriko.”

The redhead just smiled softly. “It’s okay, Touka-chan. I’m here for you!”

* * *

_Monday, January 17, 2016._

“So, what was so important that you went to the CCG headquarters to talk to me?”

The weather was cold, as it was the middle of January. With an overcast sky, it looked like it was about to start snowing any minute now. After taking the risk of going to the CCG headquarters to speak with her boyfriend, he had taken them to a nearby park to speak in private.

Touka shivered a little, reaching up to adjust her scarf. “I’m sorry, but it couldn’t wait, and I wanted to talk to you in person…”

Haise let out an exasperated sigh, reaching up to rub the back of his head. “It’s okay—you just worry me when you do reckless things like that, Touka. Is something wrong? I was planning on going down to :Re after work, like usual.”

Her grip tightened on her scarf. “Well… It’s… It’s just that—I missed my period, Haise.”

His eyes widened, but she forced herself to continue, a grimace tugging at her lips.

“And I… I took a test—a couple of them—and they… all came back positive.” She squeezed her eyes shut, the fear creeping into her throat and making her voice shake. “I’m pregnant.”

He sucked in a breath, before a smile formed on his lips, and he stepped closer to her, slipping his arms around her in an embrace. “That’s great, isn't it? We're going to be parents.” His smile turned into a giddy grin, and she could have sworn he just winked at her. “You could say, I beat the rabbit at being a rabbit.”

It was like she was hit by a wave of relief. “R-Really—wait, what’s that supposed to mean?”

Haise just laughed, giving her a gentle squeeze. “Relax, Touka-chan. How long has it been?”

Letting out  a sigh, she took a moment to think back. “Um… I think a little over a month.”

“I see…” A thoughtful expression came across his handsome features. “Well, we still have time to discuss this.”

“Yeah, but…” She hesitated. “What about the CCG?”

He winced, fingers unconsciously gripping at the fabric of her coat. “I… don’t know. We’ll… deal with it when the time comes. Until then, we’ll do our best to keep this a secret along with your true identity. I promise I’ll keep you safe.”

Nostalgia—that was what she was feeling now.  It made her remember what he had said those few years ago, during their meeting on the bridge… Not the exact same words, but something similar. It made that ache in her heart return, a painful reminder that despite the fact that they were together again, Sasaki Haise would never be Kaneki Ken again.

So she just smiled, looking up at him with complete faith.

“I believe in you.”


	2. Secret Weapon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Quinx Squad finds out about Haise's secret, and the CCG reveals huge intel on Aogiri Tree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been getting way more hits than expected, and that makes me really happy! I hope you all continue to enjoy this never ending saga. Soon I'll reveal more on the story arc/plot structure. Comments are appreciated!

_Monday, January 17, 2016._

“You look awfully happy, Sassan.”

Sasaki had returned to the Chateau, as it was around noon time, and he needed to make sure the Quinx Squad had lunch. Shirazu was the one who had spoken, and Sasaki just let out a light laugh, reaching to rub the back of his head.

“Ah, well, I just got some great news,” he laughed, that bright smile once again on his lips. “Have you kids decided what you're having yet?”

“Mucchan's cooking omelets and fried rice!” Saiko declared, sounding incredibly excited for her normally lethargic self as she padded over to where Sasaki and Shirazu were standing. “Maman, you're late.”

Sasaki laughed, albeit a bit awkwardly, once again rubbing the back of his head. “Sorry, Saiko—I had to take care of something with Touka.”

“Oh yeah.” Shirazu scratched his nose. “Why'd she call you down earlier anyways?”

“Ah—well, that's what the good news is about.”

Saiko's mismatched eyes widened, and she gasped. “Are you getting married?!”

Sasaki's eyes widened and a faint blush tinted his cheeks. “Huh? W-Whatever gave you that idea?”

The younger girl pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. “Awwww, Maman, how long are you gonna wait? We need a papa already!”

“C'mon, Saiko, don't bug Sassan about personal stuff like this,” Shirazu chided, though there was a gentle tone to his voice—they _were_ dating after all.

Sasaki let out a strained laugh. “It's all right, Shirazu—I don't mind. I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you. We _are_ a family here after all.”

“Then what's the good news, Maman?” Saiko asked, getting interested again; she, after all, had gotten quite attached to Touka as _Papa_ over the past year.

“Well...” A genuine smile returned to Sasaki's lips. “Touka and I—we're expecting.”

For a moment, the two Quinx just stared at him. Saiko's entire face lit up with joy, while Shirazu—well, simply put, he looked absolutely horrified.

“SASSAN HAD SEX?!”

There was a loud crash in the kitchen—the sound of pots and pans being knocked over. This, of course, allowed Sasaki to ignore his embarrassment and head into the kitchen to see if Mutsuki was okay, Shirazu and Saiko following suit. When they got there, Urie had also come from the living room to see what was going on.

“I-I'm okay!” Mutsuki stammered from where he was sitting on the tiled floor, surrounded by an assortment of pots.

Urie let out an irritated sigh, before turning to head back to the living room. “Figures. Some things don't ever change.”

“Mucchan, are you okay?” Saiko asked as Shirazu walked over to give the boy a hand up.

“Y-Yeah, I'm fine...” he muttered, straightening out his shirt as he stood up straight. “But—what was that you yelled, Shirazu?”

“Uh...”

“Maman and Papa are having a baby!” Saiko declared triumphantly before linking her arm with Sasaki and snuggling close to him. “Isn't that exciting?!”

Mutsuki's eyes widened slightly “O-Oh! Congratulations, Sasaki-san!”

Sasaki smiled sheepishly. “Thanks, Mutsuki. Though we'd appreciate it if you all kept this as our little secret, all right?”

“O-Of course!” He nodded in emphasis.

“Yeah, s'not like we got anybody to tell,” Shirazu said with a slight shrug. “Doubt Urie gives a shit either.”

Saiko made a face. “Can we _not_ talk about him?”

Despite the fact that it was a little over a year since Shirazu had been made squad leader, the Qs Squad dynamic had barely changed. While it was true that Saiko was trying harder and contributing more, Urie was still—well, a pain in everyone's ass. Especially in Sasaki's. No matter what he did, it seemed like he would never earn the young man's respect.

“Ah, well, it's nothing to worry about,” Sasaki sighed, rubbing the back of his head. “Let's just focus on lunch.”

Mutsuki paled. “Oh, right!” He then darted back to the stove.

Sasaki turned back to the other two. “Shirazu, Saiko, why don't you help me make some coffee?”

Shirazu flashed a toothy grin. “Yeah, sure, Sassan! Can't have the dad-to-be straining himself!”

“...Making coffee really isn't that difficult.”

“Pretty sure Saiko can argue with you on that.”

“HEY!”

* * *

“...So, Akira-san, do you have any idea what we were called down here for?”

“No.”

Sasaki sighed, leaning back in his chair. He and Akira were sitting alone in a conference room, after they had been summoned with some kind of urgency. In all honesty, he was a little antsy, because his work day was almost over, and he didn't want to be late to meet with Touka at :Re. If Akira had picked up on his fidgeting, she sure didn't show it.

He had more important things to deal with, like discussing the future with his girlfriend, than sitting around-

Just then, the door open, and in walked Washuu Yoshitoki and Arima Kishou, and Dr. Shiba, much to both of their surprise. They immediately stood to their feet, now in the presence of a superior.

“Washuu-san, this is a surprise,” Akira stated, calm as ever. “Has something happened?”

“Please, sit down,” the director said, gesturing to the seats. “We may be here for a while.”

Sasaki internally groaned.

A few moments later, everyone had a seat. Washuu seemed to be gathering the right words to say, and Sasaki had a feeling that, whatever it was, it _wasn't good_. In fact, he was getting chills just sitting here, thinking about it. Something very, very bad had happened. He could feel it.

“We've discovered intel regarding Aogiri Tree,” the director stated. “It seems like they're working on creating a _secret weapon_.”

Akira frowned. “What do you mean, sir?”

“Simply put, Aogiri has created a _super baby_ , if you will,” Arima stated, voice void of any emotion. “They've bred together the strongest ghouls—of course, this is all we were able to discover.”

“We're assuming that this offspring will be used in an attempt to defeat us,” Washuu continued. “And in turn, we must plan our own countermeasures.”

“...What does this have to do with us, sir?” Sasaki asked, speaking up for the first time. “Will there be more Quinx created?”

“Not quite,” Dr. Shiba said, and everyone turned to look at him. “You see, if we are to have our own secret weapon, we will have to follow Aogiri's example.”

Akira narrowed her eyes. “You couldn't _possibly_ be suggesting...”

Shiba clasped his hands together on top of the table. “Yes, Mado-san, that is exactly what we are saying.”

“Uh, what?” Sasaki asked, still not understanding what was happening.

“It's simple,” Washuu said gently. “You, Sasaki and Mado, have been chosen as parents of our own 'super baby'.”

Both investigators just stared at the director until his words finally seemed to register in their brains.

“... _Excuse_ me?” Akira asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow.

Sasaki's eyes were wide as saucers. “W-What? You're not serious, right? We're partners! We work together! A-And I have a girlfriend!”

“That didn't seem to faze Mado before.”

Shiba's words cut through the room like a razor, and Akira stiffened, lips pursing dangerously hard. Of course, they all knew what the doctor was talking about. Three years ago, more or less on the eve of the raid on a certain coffee shop, Akira had crossed the boundaries of her relationship with her previous partner, Amon Koutarou, thus conceiving her now two year old daughter, Sagiso. She had received a lot of flack for having the child, but _she had no regrets_.

“I believe that was uncalled for, Dr. Shiba,” Arima rebutted calmly. “Mado's personal life is of no consequence to us.”

“I can't believe I actually want to thank you right now, Arima,” she stated dryly.

Washuu cleared his throat, once again drawing everyone's attention to him. “We can make arrangements to collect the needed reproductive cells for the fetus.”

“And I can't believe this is happening,” Akira sighed, pressing a hand to her temple.

“...Do we get any say in this?” Sasaki asked hesitantly.

“No, unless you and your girlfriend would provide us with a fetus for this experimentation.”

He paled. _Fuck_.

This really was not going to end well.


	3. Nuts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An old nemesis has returned.

_Monday, January 17, 2016._

A soft sigh escaped Touka's lips as she continued to wipe down the front counter. Yomo had left early, saying something about checking up on Uta and Itori. The two had recently had a child of their own—a baby boy named Souma. She remembered how big of a deal it had been, seeing as the two hadn't exactly planned to have a child.

Much like Haise and her...

She glanced up at the clock. :Re would be closing in five minutes. He was _late_. And while this happened from time to time, she couldn't help but feel a little worried. Having finished cleaning off the counter, she tossed the cloth into the dirty laundry basket and went to inspect the dishware. The few customers that were around were gathering their belongings and leaving.

She quickly pulled out her cell phone to check for any text messages. Nope, nothing. Usually if he was going to be really late, he'd tell her, and they'd just meet at her apartment. Maybe it wasn't serious after all, and she was just being paranoid.

Brushing her hands on her apron, Touka walked over to the cash register to lock it up for the night. The shop was empty now, so she figured she would close up early and just text Haise to tell him to come to the apartment instead.

But just then, the bell rang, signaling someone entering the shop. Touka looked up, and a wave of relief hit her—it was Haise.

“Hey, sorry I'm late,” he said as he headed to the front counter, loosening the scarf around his neck. “Something came up at work.”

“It's fine,” she responded, moving out from behind the counter to meet him. “Nothing serious, I hope.”

He winced, paling a little, his hand reaching up to brush against his chin. “Aha, it's nothing you need to worry yourself about.”

That basically meant that _yes, she needed to worry about it_.

“Well... all right.” She decided that, for now, it would be best not to push it. “You want to sit down? I can make us some coffee real quick.”

“Ah, you don't have to do that,” he said, shaking his head. “Let's just sit down and talk.”

Touka nodded, and they went to sit at one of the tables. For a couple moments, neither of them said anything. It might have lasted if Haise hadn't cleared his throat.

“So... about the baby...” He seemed to hesitate. “Do you want to go through with it, Touka?”

It was strange, hearing him actually _ask_ that question. But now that she had calmed down about the matter, and had time to think about it—she had realized how much she did truly want this. Yes, she was scared—who _wouldn't_ be?—but she still wanted this child. She _wanted_ to have a family with Haise. She wanted to move onto a new portion of their lives together. Yes, she was young, with a job and college—but she would _make_ it work.

Touka smiled softly. “Yes. I want us... to have a family.”

Haise gave a smile of his own. “You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear that, Touka-chan. But... we need to discuss how we're going to do this. For one, we don't live together... but I have to stay at the Chateau with the Qs Squad. And I can't exactly ask you to come live there when it's monitored by the CCG...”

She grimaced, looking down at the table. “Well, I guess I'll just stay in my apartment. We have time to sort this out.”

He nodded in agreement. “Of course. I just want to make this as easy as possible for you.” He paused for a moment. “...How are pregnancies different for ghouls, anyways?”

“Well... they're pretty similar, from what I've learned,” she replied, turning thoughtful. “The only difference that I can think of is what we crave. Everything else is pretty much the same. Though there could be some effects on kagune that I'm unaware of...”

Haise let out a sigh of relief. “Phew, I was worried there'd be some weird things or something.”

Touka rolled her eyes. “Of _course_ not.”

He laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. “Don't look at me like that...”

She just smiled, shaking her head at him. “Why don't we go back to the apartment?”

“All right, all right,” he chuckled, a slight smile tugging on his own lips, and they both stood up from their chairs. “Oh, wait, that reminds me—you, uh, kind of need to come down to the CCG.”

Touka froze, eyes widening. “What? Why?!”

He winced, reaching up to loosen his scarf even more. “There's... been complications.”

She narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”

Haise sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his head. “We've gained intel that Aogiri Tree has created a secret weapon.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I'm not fully aware of the exact specifics, but Aogiri has conceived a 'super baby', as Dr. Shiba called it,” he told her, voice grim. “Shiba wants us to create our own 'super baby' to counter it. And they've chosen Akira and me to be the parents.”

Touka just stared at him, barely able to process what he was saying.

“That is, unless we reveal that you're already pregnant...”

“You... You can't be _serious_.”

“I wish I was lying...” he sighed, looking down. “But that's what's happened.”

Hands clenching into fists, she shook her head, taking a step back. “N-No... I'm _not_ giving up our baby to the damn CCG!”

He winced. “Touka, I don't want this either—but we may not have a choice. Even if this hadn't happened, once they found out we're expecting, they'd get involved because, you know, I'm an _artificial half ghoul_.”

She gritted her teeth, squeezing her eyes shut. “Damn them... How much more of my family are they going to fucking take away?! I can't... I can't do this right now. I'm going home.”

“Touka—at least let me drive you.”

Sighing, she nodded, having already turned away. “Fine. It's too cold to walk anyways.”

“Thank you,” he muttered with a sigh of his own quickly following. “Let's get you home.”

* * *

_Tuesday, January 18, 2016._

“You'll never guess who surfaced again,” Akira stated coolly, tossing a case file at Sasaki.

The half ghoul snapped out of his thoughts, barely able to catch the file before it could spill over his desk. Damn... He had been so absorbed, worrying about Touka, that he hadn't been focusing on his work at all. Without saying anything, he just opened the file.

His eyes widened, and he looked up at Akira in shock. “ _Nutcracker_?”

“Yes,” she replied curtly. “The Quinx Squad has been assigned the case.”

“...Great,” he groaned. “Shirazu is going to have war flashbacks.”

“Hopefully we can successfully eliminate her this time,” Akira muttered, turning to leave.

“Hey, Mom, wait—er, I mean, Akira-san.”

She glanced back at him. “What?”

He winced, hesitating for a moment. “Well—have you heard anything about... _you know?_ ”

Pursing her lips, she didn't respond right away. “They didn't tell you we have an appointment with Shiba tomorrow at two?”

“Uh... nope.”

“Typical.” She scowled a little, looking down. “They don't think of the possible repercussions this could have on our own lives.”

Sasaki winced. “Yeah... I told my girlfriend last night, and simply put... she flipped out.”

Neither of them said anything for a few moments after that, but he noticed that Akira was even more tense, her hands clenching tightly into fists. Perhaps she had it worse than him—after all, as it had been discussed yesterday that as the biological mother, she would have to raise the child. She wouldn't have to carry it, but nonetheless, responsibility would be hers.

“...What am I going to tell Sagiso?” Akira said at last, breaking the silence. “How on earth do you explain something like this to a _toddler_? It's already so hard avoiding questions about her father...”

For some reason... Sasaki felt like he understood that feeling—of what it was like to not have a father. Of course he had no memories of anything before this days in the CCG, and had adopted Arima as his “dad”, but he nothing about the real man that was his father. His real mother was a mystery as well. He was so _used_ to it, it was strange actually putting some thought into it.

“Let's just take this one day at a time, Akira-san,” he said with a sigh. “Worrying about it will just stress us out. We have the Nutcracker case to deal with.”

“...True,” she relented, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “Thank you, Haise. I know you're having trouble with this, too...”

He just flashed her a smile, hand ever so subtly reaching up to brush against his chin. “I don't mind at all. I'm happy to help. That's what partners are for, yeah?”

She smiled faintly and nodded. “Yes. You should probably go and debrief the Quinx now.”

Sasaki pushed back his chair and stood up. “Yeah, I will. Thanks, Mom.”

“...Can you _not_ call me that?”

* * *

“Wait, WHAT?! The Nutcracker's back?!”

Just as suspected, Shirazu was all but flipping tables. Saiko, who had been sucking on a lollipop, bit down on it with a loud _crack_ —which made her boyfriend flinch in his seat beside her, most definitely did not help the situation.

“Can I sit this one out, Sassan?” he practically pleaded.

Sasaki winced. “I don't think I can do that...”

Urie snorted indifferently. “Maybe if you weren't so incapable, you wouldn't have been impaled.”

“H-Hey!” Saiko retorted, jumping to her boyfriend's defense. “That was our first real mission! We were, like, _ambushed_.”

Shirazu shuddered. “I can still hear her saying, _'I can feel your balls.'_ ”

Mutsuki coughed. “Um, back on topic... What's known so far, Sasaki-san?”

“Basically, it's what happened before last year.” Sasaki glanced back down at the case file in his hands. “She's gone back to nightclubs, but this time in the 20th ward, to search for victims. I'm assuming this means auctions are still going on. Also, it appears that she may be running an escort service, as her most recent victims have been men of high status.”

Mutsuki furrowed his brow. “We're going to have to be extra careful if we're going to catch her off guard this time.”

“I refuse to be bait,” Shirazu declared firmly.

Sasaki winced. “Well, I highly doubt any of us would even be able to go undercover. She knows what we all look and sound like. We'd need someone else... Hmmm... This will take some serious planning. Good thing I'm the Sasarious.”

“Sassan, _no_.”

“Maman, not _again_.”

“Again with the puns...”

* * *

_Saturday, January 23, 2016._

Touka had spent the past few days eating the food that Yomo brought her, only to puke it all up. It was a vicious cycle, to the point where she couldn't bring herself to go to her classes or work. Yoriko had been bringing her notes from the classes they shared, but getting behind was inevitable.

Flopping down on her bed, she rolled onto her back with a groan. The morning sickness had gotten so bad so quickly, it was almost like a switch was turned on in her body. She wanted to not eat at all, but Yomo had chided her and told her she needed to eat more often for the baby.

The worst part was... she hadn't seen Haise at all these past few days since their argument, since she was too ill to go to work. But he hadn't called or texted either. She figured he just needed his space, but part of her couldn't help but worry because of his job.

She had passed the new year without him, too...

Maybe she had overreacted. She had a tendency to do that when she got upset...

Turning onto her side, she reached for her cellphone, which was sitting on her nightstand. Just as she picked it up, it vibrated, signaling that she got a new text message. It was from Yoriko, which wasn't that big of a surprise.

_**[TO: touka-chaaan]** _

_hey do u think ur up to hanging out 2morrow?? i wanna introduce u to the new transfer student!!_

Well, she figured it wouldn't hurt to try to make it... She hated being stuck in her apartment anyways. Besides, she needed to show her best friend that she was doing okay. As long as they didn't go out to eat somewhere, she would be fine. Though maybe she could use her nausea as a legit excuse not to eat anything.

_**[TO: yoriko]** _

_yeah sure, i can try to make it. where do you want to meet up?_

She flopped back down onto her back, wincing as the movement jostled her stomach and caused it to clench irritatingly. At least there was nothing left in her stomach to throw up. She just hoped that the morning sickness would't last the entire pregnancy, otherwise she would go crazy.

_**[TO: touka-chaaan]** _

_YAAAAAY thank u so much ily!! ur gonna love her! her name is asuka and she'd be our senpai but she moved around a lot as a kid so it messed with her graduation or something?? idk but she's in our year_

Touka could sort of understand that. It had honestly been a miracle for her to even start school herself, as she had no previous education. Yoshimura had worked so hard to prepare her to go to high school. She would always be grateful for that. Because of them, she actually had a life and a future, despite the fact that she was a ghoul.

_**[TO: yoriko]** _

_sounds rough. oh, and can you bring the notes from today's lessons too? i've been studying whenever i can_

More like whenever she wasn't barfing her guts out. It wasn't just the morning sickness either. The other side effects of pregnancy were already kicking in—tiredness, tenderness in her breasts, and clothes fitting tighter. She was pretty sure she was _losing_ weight more than she was gaining, though. She needed to do more research on the topic— _and_ get in to see a doctor.

Ghoul doctors were so hard to find, though. Perhaps she would stop by Helter Skelter and ask Itori who she went to.

_**[TO: touka-chaaan]** _

_ikr? i have nooo idea how she did it. but yeah i can bring them!! oh and we can meet at :re i guess?? we're talking about going to this nightclub later in the evening too but u don't have to come if u don't want to_

Touka grimaced. She was never really one for nightclubs, but she knew that Yoriko had a tendency to get in trouble without her around. And since she didn't know this Asuka, she would feel better if she was there to keep an eye on her best friend.

_**[TO: yoriko]** _

_yeah :re works. and i'll come along if i feel well enough. i can be the designated driver_

Aka, your babysitter. But she didn't mind. As long as Yoriko was safe and sound, she was happy. Plus, the gourmets had started to become active again, and you could _never_ be too careful. She rather be safe than sorry.

_**[TO: touka-chaaan]** _

_kk ur the best touka-chan!! : DD how does noon sound???_

She couldn't help but smile a little. Yoriko always managed to cheer her up. Yep, she was definitely going to try to make this day out work. She needed it, to be perfectly honest. It would probably help her clear her head, too.

_**[TO: yoriko]** _

_yeah that works! i'll see you two then_

It wouldn't hurt to make another human friend, after all, right? She had gotten so good at hiding her true identity, sometimes it really _was_ like she was human—until her hunger reminded her otherwise. At least the nausea helped her not be as hungry.

_**[TO: touka-chaaan]** _

_awesome!! ok I will see u then :) hope u feel better bae xxxx_

* * *

“Take this with you just in case,” Yomo said, handing Touka a small paper package. “I know you're having trouble keeping anything down, but it's better than having nothing at all.”

She nodded, and slipped the package into her purse. “Thanks, Yomo-san.”

“Just take care of yourself, Touka. Now go have fun with your friends.”

She couldn't help but smile a little. “I will, don't worry. See you later.”

With that, she left the staff lounge, stepping out into the cafe area. There, she was Yoriko standing to the side with a strange young woman. Okay, maybe strange wasn't the right word— _unusual_ would probably fit better. She was on the taller side, with long black hair and a figure that some girls would be jealous of.

But something... about her... was _unsettling_...

She quickly cast those thoughts aside; she was probably just being paranoid. Resting one hand on her purse, Touka walked up to them. Yoriko immediately noticed, her eyes lightening up.

“Touka-chan!” she cheered, proceeding to glomp her friend in a hug. “I've missed you!”

She winced a little, pushing her away gently. “It's only been a few days.”

“I know, but _still_.” She pouted for a moment before turning to their new companion. “Anyways, this is Horiuchi Asuka.”

Asuka gave a friendly smile, flashing startling black teeth. “It's nice to finally meet you, Kirishima-san. Yoriko-chan has told me _so_ much about you.”

“All good things I hope,” Touka said with a laugh, trying not to be unnerved by the fact that this woman had dyed her teeth black. But just then, her phone went off. “Oh, hang on, I need to check this.”

Just as she suspected, it was Haise calling. She gestured to them that she needed to take the call, and walked a bit further away to answer it.

“Hey,” she greeted him.

“ _Hi, I'm sorry I haven't been in touch,”_ he sighed, sounding a bit dejected on the other end. _“Work's been pretty hectic these past few days. Yomo told me you've been feeling ill.”_

“Oh, yeah I've been having really bad morning sickness. I should have said something myself.”

“ _No, no, it's fine, Touka—how are you feeling now?”_

She sighed. “Still nauseous, but I'm going out with Yoriko and a new friend of hers. Staying home all day gets boring.”

He chuckled. _“Well, have fun, all right? Oh, and the reason I called—there's an S-ranked ghoul that's come out of hiding, and I want you to be careful. She only targets men, but still. We call her Nutcracker, and my squad is working on her case. Just keep a lookout for me, okay?”_

“Yeah, I'll do that—no worries. But, why do you call her _Nutcracker_?”

“ _...Do you_ really _have to ask that question, Touka?”_

“Oh, god, she-

“ _Yes.”_

“...Please be extra careful, Haise. Or so help me god, I'll fucking kill her myself.”

He let out a strained laugh on the other end. _“Yikes, remind me never to piss you off.”_

“Very funny. Just promise me.”

“ _I promise, I promise—but really, even if something_ did _happen, I'd probably just regenerate.”_

“I'll still fucking kill her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the comments! It makes me really happy that you all are enjoying the story.
> 
> And yes... the Nutcracker has returned for this story arc. I thought it would be very fitting. I have lots of plans for this, huehue.


	4. Taken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Surprise after surprise seems to be coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter isn't my best, but the plot is starting to move along. I'll explain more about the story's layout at the end.

_Friday, March 4, 2016._

“Haise, you weren't really paying attention.”

The half ghoul snapped to attention, turning to face his girlfriend as they stood in line to check out of the clinic. Touka had finally been able to get in to see the resident ghoul doctor, and the two of them had gone together for the first appointment. It had been exciting, seeing their baby for the first time on the ultrasound. But Haise—well, he had seemed _distracted_.

Wincing, he reached up to rub the back of his head. “Sorry. I've just... got a lot on my mind.”

Touka pursed her lips, hand resting on her purse. “The case?”

“Yeah...” His hand dropped back down. “It's been two months now, and we still haven't made much headway. Nutcracker is hiding herself really well this time.”

She grimaced. “A lot of the victims have been students at Kamii University, too...”

“Not just that—they've been regular customers at that nightclub that Yoriko-san likes to go to,” he said with a sigh. “You've been going there as the designated driver, haven't you?”

“Uh... Yeah.” Touka winced a little. “I know you worry about me, but I feel better if I'm there with Yoriko, just in case something bad happens.”

“...I understand.”

Still... she could sense a kind of _distance_ between the two of them, even just standing here. She knew he disliked her taking unnecessary risks, but she couldn't just leave her best friend to fend for herself. Especially when she didn't completely trust Yoriko's new best friend, Horiuchi Asuka. Those two had become pretty close so fast, and Touka couldn't help but feel _suspicious_.

But before she could say anything else, it was their turn at the reception counter. Stifling a sigh, she stepped up to the desk to check out.

* * *

“Heeeeey, look, it's Touka-chan!”

The blue-haired woman looked up at the sound of a familiar cheerful voice, and immediately a smile lit up her face. It was none other than Nagachika Hide, with his own cheeky smile. He gave her a little wave before finally stopping in front of the counter, where she was cleaning dishes.

“It's been a while Hide,” she said, still smiling. “What's up?”

“Heh, well, I've been kinda busy,” he laughed. “Just finally managed to squeeze in some time to stop by to visit you! How's Haise been doing?”

Her face fell. Hide was fully aware of Haise's true identity—Kaneki Ken, his childhood best friend, a human who became a ghoul. In turn, Haise also knew of his past, but still had no memories of it. They had managed to rekindle their friendship, but it _just wasn't the same_.

“Well, things have been a bit stressful lately,” she answered quietly, looking back down at the cups she had been washing. “The CCG... is being, well, the CCG.”

Hide was also aware of the fact that both Touka and Haise were ghouls. After a series of events in the past, it was inevitable. But in all honesty, it was a bit of a relief. It was hard enough keeping it a secret from Yoriko, much less another human that was close to them.

Hide winced. “Y'know, when I worked for them, they didn't seem too bad... but I guess that's because... _well_.”

“...It could be worse,” she sighed, though sometimes she really wondered if that was possible.

He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped, seeming to have taken notice of something. “Heeeey, Touka-chan... is there, I dunno— _something you need to tell me_?”

“Huh?” For a moment, she was confused. “Oh, that's right. I never got to tell you.” She gave him a soft smile. “Haise and I are expecting.”

A bright grin lit up Hide's face. “Duuude, that's awesome! Congrats! I'm gonna be the godfather, right?”

She let out a light laugh. “I'll have to talk to Haise about that—but thank you, Hide. We're really excited about it.”

Well, at least _she_ was...

He was about to respond, when the door opened and in stepped in another familiar face. It was Yoriko, who had never been around when Hide had ever visited. The redhead bounded up to them, looking really upbeat about something, however the young man's presence seemed to make her hesitate for a moment.

“Touka-chan, who's this?” she asked.

“Nagachika Hideyoshi, at your service!” he declared melodramatically, giving a little bow. “But just call me Hide.”

“This is Haise's best friend,” Touka explained. “Hide, this is Kosaka Yoriko, _my_ best friend.”

“Ohhhh, hi!” Yoriko exclaimed, before smiling. “Well, it's nice to meet you, Hide! Any friend of Haise-kun's is a friend of mine.” She turned to Touka. “Oh, yeah, I just thought I'd stop by to give you the notes from our classes yesterday.”

Touka had missed their classes because of the doctor's appointment. Three months along, and she was just starting to show a little. It wasn't too apparent yet, and for that she was glad, because she didn't want anyone asking her questions or giving her looks for being so young and pregnant. At least she wasn't a teenager; that would've been worse.

“Thanks,” she said as she set down the cup and towel to take the packet of notes that Yoriko had pulled out of her bag. “You're a life saver, Yoriko.”

She just smiled, and waved her off. “Please, I'm just helping you out! I need to go though—meeting up with Asuka-chan to go do some shopping for new dresses. She found this really sweet new nightclub and we're going to check it out soon—but we need new outfits first!”

“Oh. I see.” Touka tried to to show her concern and disappointment. “Well, have fun.”

“I will! Text you later!” Yoriko gave a little wave before turning around and heading out of the shop.

Once she was gone, Touka let out a heavy sigh, placing the notes down on the counter. Hide immediately keyed onto the change.

“Hey, you okay?” he asked, concerned. “Something bothering you, Touka?”

She winced. _Too much_ was bothering her—things she could not burden Hide with. Yes, he knew about the ghoul world, but he was still a human. She didn't want him to get wrapped up in problems he could get killed because of. She had no idea what Haise would do if he lost Hide; even without his memories, he still knew that Hide was important to him.

“...It's nothing,” she muttered, picking the notes back up. “I need to put these away. Be right back.”

* * *

“Mamaaan, my tummy hurts...”

Sasaki looked up from where he was seated on the couch, going over the endless of piles of paperwork he had somehow accumulated over the past few days. Slipping off his glasses, he took a closer look at the Quinx that had come to him with the complaint.

“Have you eaten recently, Saiko?”

The blue-haired girl nodded, pouting, as she pressed her hand up against her stomach. “Yeah... At lunch! But I feel sick...”

Sasaki sighed, setting aside his reading glasses and the paperwork. “What exactly are you feeling?”

“Really queasy... like I'm gonna throw up... It's awful, Maman...”

“Let's find you some medicine,” he said, pushing himself up off the couch.

Saiko, however, seemed to panic, her eyes widening and she shook her head. “Dr. Shiba told me to not take anything!”

He frowned, confused to why possibly Shiba would say that—until it hit him hard. “Wait a sec... Last month, Shiba called all of you in for a random physical. What exactly did he do?”

“It wasn't just a physical,” Saiko said, scratching her chin. “He said he needed to inject something in me to help my kagune or something.”

Sasaki narrowed his eyes. “Saiko... I don't think that had anything to do with your kagune.”

“Huh?” She, naturally, looked confused. “Then what was it, Maman?”

The half ghoul sighed heavily, pressing fingers to his temple. “I cannot believe I'm about to ask this, but... when was the last time you got your period, Saiko?”

“H-HUH?!” Saiko took a huge step back, her face flushing brilliant crimson. “M-Maman! What kind of question is that?! Shirazu and I are safe!”

“...I did not need to know that,” he groaned, pressing a hand to his forehead. “Just answer the question, Saiko.”

Fingers clasping the hemline of her shirt, she bit her bottom lip, as she was obviously trying to think back. But she must have realized something, because all the color drained from her face, and she looked up at Sasaki in horror.

“O-Oh my god... I haven't gotten it in two months... W-We've been so busy-”

But any other words were lost on him, because now he was seething in anger that the CCG had impregnated a young girl without even telling her. This was getting absolutely ridiculous. He knew he needed to see someone about this, and right now.

“Saiko, come with me,” he said, reaching out to take her by the wrist.

“O-Okay—where are we going?”

“To find Akira-san.”

* * *

“...Please tell me you're kidding.”

By the time they had found Akira, Saiko was practically in tears. Sasaki was too angry to be much of a comfort, and for that he was sorry, but at this moment he was more concerned about finding out what the hell was going on.

“I wish I was,” he muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. “Of course, Saiko needs to be tested to find out for sure, but it seems pretty obvious to me.”

Akira raised an eyebrow. “Since when are you so knowledgeable about pregnancy?”

_...Shit._

Sasaki winced, reaching up to rub the back of his head. “Uh... W-Well... Don't tell anybody, but my girlfriend and I are expecting.”

She was quiet for a moment. “...I see. And I take it that you do not want this child forced into the CCG's newest project.”

“Exactly.”

Akira sighed heavily. “Of all the ideas they could come up with, they decided on the worst possible one.”

“W-What plan?” Saiko whimpered.

“...We can't exactly disclose that,” Sasaki told her reluctantly. “You don't have enough ranking. Which is ridiculous, because you're part of this whether you want to be or not.” Then it hit him, and he looked at his partner in horror. “What about Mutsuki?”

Saiko's eyes widened. “Why would Mucchan—oh my _god_.”

“...That would be crossing the line indeed,” Akira stated grimly. “Even more so than before. Let's go find Mutsuki.”

* * *

“Touka-chan, you _really_ didn't have to come with us.”

It was later in the day, and she had called up Yoriko and asked if she could go along with the two girls to that new nightclub. It was mainly so she could keep an eye on her best friend, and make sure no one got in any trouble. Currently, they were standing outside of said nightclub.

“It's all right,” she insisted, trying to give Yoriko a reassuring smile. “I need to get out anyways.”

“Well, the more the merrier, I always say,” Asuka chuckled. “Actually, the reason why I suggested this place—I go way back with the owner. We'll get special treatment.”

Yoriko's face lit up. “Oh my gosh, really?! That's so cool! Oooh, I'm so excited! I wonder how many cute guys are in there.”

Asuka smiled slyly. “Oh, there's _plenty_. I'm aiming to take someone home tonight. I haven't sucked any dick in a while.”

“...Too much information,” Touka muttered.

The older woman just laughed. “ _Please_ , darling, you're far from innocent yourself.”

Lips turning down in a scowl, her grip on her purse tightened. “At least I don't go broadcasting it to the whole world.”

Yoriko let out a strained laugh, holding up her hands. “C'mon, guys, there's no need to fight! Everyone gets laid at least once in their life! Ha ha! ...Right?”

Touka sighed. “Let's just go inside. It's getting windy.”

“Of course!” Yoriko exclaimed, reaching out to link her arm with her friend's. “In we go! Let's have loads of fun!”

Touka let her pull her inside, and Asuka followed suit. As soon as they stepped into the club, they were surrounded by strangers, booming music, and flashing lights. Almost immediately, Touka's stomach seemed to clench due to the atmosphre. Maybe coming along wasn't such a good idea after all.

“Wow, this is so cool!” Yoriko exclaimed, letting go of her. “Asuka-chan, where should we even start?”

“Well, why don't we get some drinks first?” she suggested.

“Oh, yeah, good idea!” Yoriko agreed with a nod.

Touka ended up following them over to the bar. The flashing lights were making her feel a bit nauseous, even though she had been having a rather good day regarding morning sickness. She sat down with her friends—though Asuka very loosely fit that term, if at all—while they took their orders. And as awful as she was beginning to feel, she couldn't bring herself to leave Yoriko alone with that woman in this kind of place.

She reserved herself to just watching, letting Yoriko and Asuka do all the chatting whenever someone approached them. There were a _lot_ of men, all who hit on them. It was getting obnoxious real fast—though maybe it was her _hormones_ talking.

Eventually, though, Touka needed a break. She stood up from her stool. “I need to use the restroom.”

“Oh, are you feeling all right?” Yoriko asked with concern.

“Yes, I just need to take a breather,” she said reassuringly. “I'll be right back.”

With that, she excused herself, and began to pick her way through the crowd. She had just reached the edge of the club, where the bathrooms were, when she accidentally bumped into someone.

“Oh, _my_ bad—well well well, isn't this a pleasant surprise.”

Touka froze. She knew that voice—and not from a good memory. Looking up, she immediately recognized the man. One of the men that had been with Yamori and her brother when they kidnapped Kaneki. One of the men she had tried to stop to protect him. Of course, this one in particular hadn't really done anything—that flamboyant individual that could be considered creepy by some people. If she recalled correctly, he had been called _Nico_ that day.

_What the hell was he doing here?_

She quickly pulled away from him. “What are _you_ doing here?”

He clucked his tongue. “I wouldn't make a scene, if I were you. This club... is teeming with ghouls.”

...Shit. This was not good. That meant... her suspicions were correct. Horiuchi Asuka was a ghoul after all. Yoriko had fallen right into her trap. But Nico didn't even give her a chance to speak, because he continued with his own monologue.

“You were Kaneki's little girlfriend, weren't you?” An amused little smile formed on his lips. “It's a shame, really, what happened to him. Such a cute little boy.”

Hands clenching into fists, she scowled fiercely. “Don't you dare talk about him.”

Nico sighed. “You're going to make a scene, aren't you? Asuka-chan should have warned us.”

“...Excuse me?”

He just smiled sweetly, reaching out to grab her by the arm, pulling her close to him. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way—but I would go with the easy way, because it looks like you have a _lot_ to lose, sweetheart.”

Of course... She was showing now. Dammit, why did this fucking have to happen? Why did Yoriko have to befriend another ghoul? A ghoul that obviously had some kind of connection to Aogiri Tree or the Clowns. All she knew that this could end very badly if she wasn't careful.

Touka just hoped—and _prayed_ —that she would not have to choose between her child and her best friend.

“...Fine,” she muttered, malice etched in her voice. “But I swear to God, if Yoriko gets hurt...”

“Oh? You mean the human girl with Asuka-chan?” He laughed. “Haven't you heard of the Auctions that are hold? No, your friend will become someone's pet. And maybe you will too. I know _I_ would love to own you.”

Touka was too shocked to react as he began to drag her towards the back, to the fire exit.

_Haise... I'm sorry I got into this mess..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this fic is divided in three big parts. The first is what we are on currently, focusing on the canon characters leading up to the first child being born. The second part is more family oriented and will probably be the lightest and fluffiest out of the fic. The third and final part focuses mainly on the kids, and basically shit will be going down. Shit that would make Ishida proud, hopefully.
> 
> There are different story arcs in each part, but as of now there's only two in our current part. The third section will be the longest, and the second may be the shortest. I'm still doing some planning, but that's the basic gist. Once I have more news, I'll let you know.


	5. Challenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nutcracker has issued a challenge.

_Friday, March 4, 2016._

Someone was shaking her shoulders.

“Touka-chan! Touka! Oh, god, please wake up!”

There was a soft groan, and she realized it was her. She was laying down somewhere hard and cold. Forcing her eyes open, she saw that it was Yoriko who was trying to wake her. Eyes glanced around to see that they were in some kind of holding room, with various other terrified looking people. Touka didn't even get a chance to say a word before Yoriko grabbed her by the arm and began to pull her up.

“They're—Asuka and these people—they're _ghouls_ ,” the girl whimpered, her nails sinking into Touka's bare skin.

“...I know.” Her words were curt, but her head was still spinning and she could feel bile coming up her throat. “Dammit... why didn't I notice _sooner_?”

A look of confusion flickered over Yoriko's face. “What do you mean, Touka?”

Before she could even respond, she caught a whiff of something absolutely _delicious_. Immediately her stomach let out a growl, and her hand dropped down to press against it. _Shit._ That was blood. And now everyone was staring at her in horror—including Yoriko. And that meant only one thing: _her kakugan were showing._

“Oh my god,” someone whimpered. “She's one of them! S-She's a ghoul!”

All the other females were cringing back, trying to get as far away as possible. Except for Yoriko, who just sat there, staring at her with wide eyes. Her stomach let out another gurgle, clenching and then hitting her with another wave of nausea. This time, she pressed her hand to her mouth in an attempt to hold in anything that was threatening to come up.

“T-Touka-chan... Y-You're... You're a...”

The moment passed, and she let her hand drop back down to her side. Gaze lowering to the floor, Touka didn't respond right away. _Of course_ this had to happen. _Of course_ her best friend would finally found out her well kept secret. This just kept on getting worse.

“...A ghoul,” she said at last, breaking the silence, haunting eyes locking on Yoriko. “Are you... going to run away too?”

Yoriko seemed to hesitate. “N-No... of course not. Ghoul or not, you're still my best friend, Touka.” She smiled a little, albeit a bit strained. “W-Who cares if you eat people?”

But Touka didn't get to enjoy this moment with her friend, because one of the others in the room had to ruin it.

“H-How can you say that about a M-MONSTER?!”

“P-Please don't eat us!”

“I don't wanna die!”

The entire room erupted into chaos, with enough noise to give anyone a headache. Yoriko reached out, grabbing Touka by the arm to pull her back away from the others. They both got up on their feet, and Yoriko tugged Touka over to the side, next to the wall. The movement made Touka dizzy for a moment, but it passed rather quickly.

“Touka-chan,” Yoriko said, and she met her friend's gaze. “Haise-kun works for the CCG, right? They should be able to save us!”

She winced, reaching up to tuck some of her hair behind her ear with her free hand. “Yes, but... there's no way to contact him. They took my cell phone.”

Yoriko paled. “Touka... w-what are we gonna _do_?” Then she seemed to realize something. “Wait a sec... if you're a ghoul, why on earth are you dating a member of the CCG?!”

Touka winced. “It's a long story, Yoriko... but do you remember that boy who used to work at Anteiku with me? The one you saw in my apartment with me that one time? Kaneki Ken?”

Her eyes widened a little as she recalled. “Oh yeah, that kid that went missing! I thought he was your boyfriend, ehehehe...”

Touka fought back a grimace. “Yes, him. He was originally human, like you, but got transplanted with a ghoul's organs, making him an artificial half ghoul. And, well... Haise is him.”

Yoriko gasped, eyes widening even more. “W-What?! What happened to him? If he's a ghoul too, why is he with the CCG?”

“It's complicated,” she sighed, arms slowly wrapping around herself. “I can tell you everything some other time.”

Yoriko nodded, a solemn expression forming on her face. “Of course. And... I'm sorry for getting us into this mess...”

Touka tried to give her a reassuring smile, but it most likely came out strained. “It's not your fault. Horiuchi had us both fooled.” _Well, not me so much, but still._

And despite all this... part of her was relieved... that she no longer had to keep so much of her life a secret from her best friend... and that she had been _accepted_. But now, she had to ensure, somehow, that nothing happened to Yoriko or her unborn child. If it came down to fight... she could possibly lose the baby... and that utterly terrified her.

But she could not show that fear. She had to be brave. She had to hold on until Haise realized something was wrong. But... how would they even be able to find them?

Yoriko, however, was able to catch onto the change in her demeanor. “Touka-chan—?”

She never got to finish her sentence, because the door abruptly jerked open, making all the humans in the room jump or flinch. Touka looked and saw, much to her dread, that the Nutcracker had returned. Yes, it was for sure now. She was decked out in that black lingerie that Haise had told her was part of her signature.

“Well well well, it looks like the sleeping beauties have woken up,” she drawled as she sauntered in. “Kirishima Touka—my, you're a fine catch today. Not only are you the older sister of an executive of Aogiri Tree, but you're the lover of Sasaki Haise. Oh, and you're carrying his _child_ as well! Such a bonus, if I say so myself. You'll be the top sale, I'm sure of it.”

_Fuck. Don't lose your cool._ Touka's arms dropped to her sides, eyes narrowing. “You have some fucking nerve.”

She laughed, rolling her eyes. “Oh, please. A full blooded ghoul impregnated with the offspring of the first successful artificial half ghoul? You can't get rarer than that. Haven't you considered the potential your child has? The first ever three-quarters ghoul... It's the dawn of a new era, don't you say?”

Touka scowled. “Don't talk about my child... like they're some kind of _weapon_.”

Nutcracker smirked. “Having children as weapons of mass destruction is the new in thing these days.”

Haise's words came rushing back to her. So it _was_ true... Not that she had doubted him; she just didn't trust anything the CCG said. They would make up excuses to do whatever they wanted. It chilled her to the bone, just thinking about it.

“Now _those_ children—they will be gods of a new age.” The S ranked ghoul smiled slyly. “But what about yours, Touka-chan~?”

“W-What are you even talking about?” Yoriko whimpered, subtly reaching out to grab onto her friend's arm, completely confused.

But Touka was seething, her entire body taut with rising anger. The _nerve_ this woman had to do all of this, to say these things. All Touka wanted to do was _attack_ , but she knew that would be a very foolish thing to do. She needed to bide her time, and figure out a way to contact Haise.

“Shut _up_. My child's future is none of your concern.”

Nutcracker just laughed. “Ah, well, that fetus may be the only thing you get from your little boytoy once I crush his balls. Repeatedly, if I have to.”

The only thing that kept Touka from lashing out was Yoriko's grip on her, which only tightened as the young woman caught the dangerous glint in her friend's eyes.

“You will regret this,” she stated darkly. “Just you fucking wait.”

* * *

“I wasn't aware of this at all.”

Sasaki and Akira had decided to just gather all the Quinx together, find Arima, and then deliver all of the news and discoveries. Saiko was currently sobbing her eyes out on the couch while Shirazu kept his arm around her and tried to comfort her. Mutsuki was next to them, the most horrified look on his face, while Urie just stood to the side, arms crossed over his chest and a very hardened expression on his face.

“...That makes how many of us, now?” Akira sighed, resting a hand on her hip. “This is so troublesome.”

Sasaki looked to her. “Akira-san... please tell me _you're_ not pregnant too.”

“What? Don't be absurd, Sasaki.” She sighed. “This must be why they haven't been pushing us. Because they were planning on doing _this_.”

“I-It's... not _fair_ ,” Saiko sobbed, clinging to Shirazu as if for dear life. “I'm... I'm too _young_ to be a mom!”

Mutsuki lowered his gaze, hands resting on his knees. “I... I can't... believe this is happening... I didn't think much about why I was feeling ill...”

He was in too much shock to react in any other way.

“We'll get through this together, Saiko,” Shirazu said, still trying to comfort her. “I mean, it'll be a while before there's any babies, right?”

It finally seemed to sink in for Mutsuki. Hands jerked up to press against the sides of his head. “Oh... Oh my _god_...”

“...This is bullshit,” Urie muttered, finally speaking for the first time since they all had gathered. “I didn't sign up for this.”

“Dude, _nobody_ signed up for this,” Shirazu said, an arm still wrapped around his girlfriend.

As the conversation continued, Sasaki zoned out a bit, his mind drifting to Touka. To think they were having a child as well, when all of this chaos was breaking out. He was hoping she wouldn't get dragged into this mess, but only time would tell. They couldn't keep it a secret from the CCG _forever_. However, one statement would snap him out of his thoughts.

“I'm afraid I may have given the CCG this idea,” Arima admitted.

“Huh?” Sasaki gave the older man a confused look as everyone else stared at him in various levels of shock. “What do you mean, Dad—er, I mean, Arima-san?”

Arima met his gaze, impassive as always. “I brought up with Shiba the possibility of creating a child via artificial insemination through a test tube. This was about two years ago. Nonetheless, he took up the challenge, and I now have a son.”

For a moment, everyone was just speechless.

Akira crossed her arms over her chest. “And you decided to tell us this just _now_?”

He reached to push up his glasses. “It didn't occur to me that it was relevant.”

“I'm not... an only child anymore?” Sasaki asked with wide eyes. “Dad... how _could_ you?”

“Haise, you must understand. It's all for the CCG.”

Akira sighed heavily, reaching up to press her fingers to her temple. “All this child business is giving me a headache.”

“You technically started it, Akira,” Arima stated indifferently.

“My personal life has nothing to do with my job,” she deadpanned.

But before an argument could break out—or at least what would seem to be an argument—Sasaki's cell phone went off. Frowning, he pulled it out of his pocket to see who was calling. How strange; it was Touka. She had texted him earlier to let him know she was going out with Yoriko and Asuka, so he hadn't expected to hear anything from her.

Unless... _something was wrong_.

He quickly answered, as everyone had grown quiet and looked towards him.

“Touka? Is everything all right?”

“ _This isn't your darling, sorry.”_

He froze, eyes widening. He knew that voice. It sounded like... the Nutcracker. Chills ran down his spine and his stomach clenched, all the color draining from his face. No. No, this was not happening. Why did she have Touka's phone? What was going on?

“...What have you done with Touka?” he demanded, his voice like ice.

“ _Oh, please, your precious girly isn't hurt. For now, anyways. I've got her and her little human pet under lock and key, Sasaki. If you want to see either of them alive, listen to me very carefully.”_

He felt sick to his stomach. Dammit, _Yoriko_ had been dragged into this too?!

“What do you want?”

“ _Ah, good boy. I want to... play a little game. You and your squad will come to the address I will text you. Just your squad—no one else. If anyone else shows up, they're both good as dead. Do you understand that much?”_

_Fuck._ Squeezing his eyes shut, Sasaki took a deep, but ragged breath. “Yes, I understand.”

Everyone was staring at him, confused and concerned.

“ _You're a_ very _good boy!”_ She sounded pleased. _“Now, onto this game. The rules are simple. How do you win? You and your squad have to kill me. I win by killing all of_ you _.”_

This... was not reassuring at all. They had failed to kill her in the first place, but that had been a year ago. While they were all so much stronger, the thought of facing the Nutcracker again made him apprehensive. They _were_ assigned to her case, however, so they would have no choice either way, even if this never happened.

“We will be there,” he replied curtly, his blood simmering. “You can count on that.”

“ _Good, good! I am so looking forward to seeing you again, my dearest Sasaki.”_

With that, the call ended, leaving him to stand in a simmering angry state, as the others continued to look at him with confusion and concern. Within moments, he received the text with the address to go to. He slipped the phone back into his pocket, and turned back to the others, a steely facade slipping over him.

He was beyond pissed. Soon, the Nutcracker would find out why the hell you didn't mess with his family.

“Nutcracker has kidnapped my girlfriend and her best friend. She has told me where to find them. We're going in. I'll explain the rest along the way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to stick with short-medium length chapters, to keep a sense of suspense going on. And this will be a very long fic. So you've been warned haha.


	6. Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The games begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note, to make it easier for me to manage the timeline, I've gone through, done some editing, and added dates.

_Friday, March 4, 2016._

Night had almost fallen. The dim twilight set an eerie vibe as the van pulled up on the side of the rode, several meters away from the destination. Sasaki was on edge, with a dangerous glint in his eyes, warning the Quinx that now was probably not the best time to talk to him. The atmosphere was heavy as everyone unbuckled their seat belts and began to get out.

“Sassan,” Shirazu said, breaking the silence as the van doors were slid shut and they all were out on the sidewalk. “Are you gonna be okay?”

The question itself irritated Sasaki, hand dropping down to rest on the pommel of his quinque, Yukimura 1/3. But he knew that if he showed his anxiety, it would affect them as well. So he just looked over at them and gave a smile, albeit a rather strained one.

“Ah, don't worry about me, Shirazu,” he said, fingers coming up to brush against his chin. “I'll be fine. Let's just focus on rescuing Touka and Yoriko-san.”

Shirazu, Mutsuki, and Saiko exchanged uncertain looks. Urie, naturally, looked indifferent. They all could recall the last time they had encountered the Nutcracker. It had ended in chaotic disaster, an event they would all like to forget. But now, thanks to this, they had no choice but to _remember_.

“Sasaki-san, how are we going to do this?” Mutsuki asked after a moment of hesitation.

“We'll stick together,” he said, eyes drifting to the building ahead—their destination. _So much closer to Touka._ “There's only us, so that's the safest way to go.”

They all nodded, and Sasaki started walking along the sidewalk towards the building, and the Quinx followed suit. The place appeared to be an old storage center. With each step, Sasaki became more and more on edge. They were _so close_ , but at the same time, it would be _so easy_ to slip up. There was so much at stake.

Within minutes, they had reached the storage building. It seemed to loom above them menacingly, and the fact that it was overcast didn't help matters. It looked like it could start snowing any moment now; it was, after all, only _March_. Taking a deep breath of chilly air, Sasaki turned to face his companions, a steely, determined look on his face.

“All right, we're here,” he stated, business mode on. “We're to stick together. No one goes anywhere alone. Our main goal is to rescue the girls, but is any ghoul gets in your way, do not hesitate to kill them. Understood?”

They all nodded.

With that, Sasaki strode towards the front door, the Quinx trailing behind him. It wasn't much of a surprise that the door opened with ease. He gestured for Urie to go first, followed by Shirazu, Mutsuki, and lastly Saiko. Only once his squad was inside did he follow suit.

It was empty. Not a soul was in sight.

This truly was a trap.

Sasaki walked past the Quinx, taking the lead once again. His grip on his quinque had increased to the point where his fingers were turning white. Footsteps echoed in the open room, adding to the already eerie atmosphere. His nerves were already becoming undone. He just wanted to see Touka, and make sure she was safe. Yoriko was important too, but... _Touka_.

They all stopped in the middle of the room, the Quinx turning toward him. The silence was heavy, and they seemed hesitant to speak to him. But before anyone could even open their mouths, Sasaki's cell phone went off again. He immediately reached for it—another text from the Nutcracker. This time, it had directions to the room they were to go to.

“...Follow me,” he said, tone back to steely determination.

The Quinx did not question him. They merely followed him in silence as he navigated through several hallways before finally arriving at their destination. And, of course, several ghouls were stationed out in front of the door, and as soon as said ghouls saw them, their kakugan activated and they leaped to action.

Sasaki unsheathed Yukimura 1/3 as one of the ghouls charged at him, brandishing a koukaku in the form of a drill. However, they were so obvious and reckless it was far too easy for him to just thrust his quinque into the ghoul's stomach, blood spraying everywhere. It pushed it deeper before ripping it out and shoving the ghoul away from him, proceeding to slice off its head.

_**Let me out, Haise—you know you want to. Let me wreck havoc on those who dare to hurt Touka.** _

_No._ He couldn't lose control.

Just noticing another ghoul coming at him, he swiftly moved out of the way. The Quinx were doing fine by the looks of it, sticking to their quinque rather than releasing their kagune yet. Reassured by that, he was able to focus on dispatching the ghoul. Another body dropped to the ground.

_**FeEd. Taste the blood on your lips. Why do you keep resisting?** _

“Sassan!” Shirazu's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and he turned towards the young man. “We'll handle this! Go on!”

Nodding, Sasaki moved towards the door, hand darting out to grasp the door knob. As expected, it was locked. A scowl tugging at his lips, he backed up, before planting a firm kick in the middle of the door, busting it down. He rushed in, only to be stopped dead in his tracks by what he saw.

“...Touka-chan...?” he breathed, eyes wide with horror.

There she was, chained down to a chair. Head hanging limply, she seemed to be unconscious, her clothing torn and stained with blood. Her chest was rising and falling faintly, signaling that she was indeed alive. All he could do was stare, skin crawling and gut clenching into a nauseating mess. This was familiar. All too familiar. It was making his head hurt.

Yoriko was nowhere to be seen; hopefully she was still alive and uninjured.

Laughter snapped him out of his daze. “Oh, so you finally arrived! I was getting impatient.”

Sasaki whipped to attention as the Nutcracker walked into view. He tensed, tightening his grip on Yukimura 1/3. How she was even still alive, he had no idea, but ghouls were incredibly resilient. She just smirked, lifting her hand up to show him something she was holding.

A pair of... pliers?

Pliers.

_Pliers._

_**Count with me, Haise. What is one thousand minus seven?** _

One thousand... minus seven... No! He shook his head, doing his best to push back those thoughts and the voice of _Him_. He needed to focus. Touka needed him right now.

“What did you do to her?!” he demanded angrily, causing his kakugan to activate.

Nutcracker laughed, waving the hand the held the pliers. “Oh, please, don't get your panties in a twist. We just roughed her up a bit. I didn't actually use these. Naki kept them in remembrance of Yamori, which I just so happened to snatch. Nifty, aren't they?”

She tossed them, and they hit the ground, skidding to a halt at his feet. Eyes flickering down, he couldn't help but stare at the tool. His stomach clenched, like he was going to throw up. Why was it making him feel this way? Did the Nutcracker know something he didn't?

_**One thousand minus seven... is nine hundred ninety-three.** _

Scowling, Sasaki pointed his quinque at her. “Enough stalling. I'm here now. What is it exactly that you want?”

She just smirked. “My, someone's in business mode. I was hoping we could have a little fun first.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Define your definition of _'fun'_.”

Her eyelids drooped into a half-lidded smile. “Math? _Counting_ is always fun. I enjoy _counting_ up the number of balls I've consumed.”

_**What is nine hundred ninety-three minus seven? Come on, Haise you know the answer.** _

_S-Shut up._ Hands jerked up to clamp over his ears.

“What's wrong, Sasaki? _Centipede_ got your tongue?”

_**LeT mE iN, hAiSe, YoU kNoW, yOu WaNt To KiLl HeR. mAkE hEr PaY fOr HuRtInG tOuKa-ChAn. ACCEPT ME AND DESTROY HER.** _

“S-Shut _up_ ,” he got out, voice shaking. He could feel his kagune stirring under his skin, and something _worse_ deep within, just itching to come out. “Shut _up_ , shut _up_ , shut _up_!”

_**I'm So HuNgRy. QuIt ThIs FaKe GaMe AnD lEt Me OuT. aCcEpT yOuR tRuE sElF. KANEKI KEN.** _

“No no no no! Shut UP! I don't.... I don't need you to beat her!”

“Oh? Talking to yourself now? I didn't think you were that type of person.” Nutcracker laughed.

_**YoU'rE sO wEaK. yOu NeEd Me To dO aNyThInG pRoDuCtIvE. WEAK WEAK WEAK WEAK.** _

But that wasn't what made Sasaki break. What made him break was a soft noise, as someone dear to him stirred, snapping out of whatever daze she had been. Gaze darted over to the chair to see Touka stirring, lifting her head. Light blue bangs were plastered to her face, the tips caked with blood. Her eyes locked on him, widening ever so slightly.

“...Kaneki?”

Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it hit like a freight train.

_Everything._ It all came rushing back. Memories flashing images like a movie screen in his mind. Pain. Complete agony. Despair. _HUNGER_.

_**CeNtIpEdEs In My BrAiN.** _

His head jerked back, chin tilting into the air. Rinkaku tentacles pulled out of his kakuhou, glaring blood red in the dim lighting of the room. But that wasn't all. A beak-mask slid down out of his face as two centipede-like tendrils jerked out of his body. Eerie laughter exploded from his throat.

“Touka-chan... _I'm baaaaaack_.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short, but gotta keep the suspense going, right? :Re is getting so good too! I'm so excited for this.


	7. Centipede

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaneki Ken has returned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter clears up any confusion. Please remember this story is only seven chapters in as of now and not everything will be explained that quickly.

_Friday, March 4, 2016._

Mutated tendrils shot out towards the Nutcracker as Sasaki lunged towards her in reckless abandon. It was far too easy for her to leap out of the way, avoiding the attack that then impaled the concrete wall behind the chair that Touka was chained to. A chattering sound seemed to be echoing throughout the room, but one would quickly realize it was Sasaki clacking his teeth together repeatedly.

_**KiLl KiLl DeVoUr ThE WeAk.** _

Nutcracker unleashed her bikaku, the tail-like kagune sliding out as her kakugan darkened her eyes. Angling it upwards, it latched onto one of the pipes hanging from the ceiling, and she lifted herself into the air just in time to avoid another attack from Sasaki as he tore his kagune out from the wall, shaking the foundation.

A feral snarl escaped his lips as whipped back around, two more rinkaku coming out of his back. The kakuja was thrashing all about, slamming into the walls, causing dust to drop down from the ceiling. But by some miracle, Touka was not touched.

_**THE STRONG MUST DEVOUR THE WEAK.** _

Nutcracker lifted herself out of the way as Sasaki thrust his kagune at her again, this time impaling the ceiling. He didn't pull them out, however; instead, he heaved himself up into the air, lunging at her. This took her by surprise as he slammed into her, fingers digging into her flesh as he sunk his teeth into her shoulder. Blood sprayed everywhere as an agonized scream sounded through the room.

And that scream seemed to finally snap Touka out of her daze. Eyes widened with horror as she saw the two ghouls drop from the ceiling in a tangled mess of kagune and cascading blood. The scent hit her like a wave, making her stomach clench and let out a soft growl. Ghoul flesh normally did not seem appetizing to her, but her higher Rc count from the pregnancy could be affecting her.

But... she had to get free. She had to stop Kaneki from doing this.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the painful cries coming from Nutcracker as he continued to chomp down on her, tearing her flesh from her body. She needed to focus. She needed to get free. With those thoughts, her kakugan activated, and her wing-like kagune slid out of her shoulders. Biting down on her bottom lip, she fired shards at the chains binding her to the chair, slicing them in two, but also cutting herself in the process.

Heaving herself up from the chair, Touka staggered forward, her body shaking due to the blood loss from the torture earlier, and now the crimson liquid that was soaking into her battered shirt. One arm went across her torso, fingers gasping the other tightly, as if she was trying to hold herself together. Her ukaku shimmered and pulsed, but appeared dimmer than normal.

“K-Kaneki...” Her voice was too soft; he couldn't hear her. “KANEKI! You have to... You have to STOP!”

But he didn't seem to be listening. He continued to tear at the Nutcracker, who was now at least unconscious. Blood was pooling on the concrete floor, flowing along like tiny rivers. Chunks of flesh were even thrown out every now and then. Kaneki was drenched with the liquid, inhuman noises sounding from him as he fed.

She'd have to get _close_... She had to talk some _sense_ into him.

All she could do in her weak state was stumble up behind him, before dropping down to her knees. For a moment, he froze, pausing in mid bite, a chunk of intestines in his hand. Her ukaku wavered with her weakness, but she reached out to place her hand on his shoulder. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that the Quinx Squad had finally entered the room, all with looks of horror on their faces.

“Kaneki... please. This isn't... this isn't _you_.” Her grip tightened, fingers gasping at the hems of his shirt. “You have to fight it. You're stronger than this. I know the man I fell in love with, and this isn't him.”

His hand opened up, and the intestines slowly slid out, plopping back into the Nutcracker's body. But other than that, he did not budge.

“...Kaneki...” She dared to edge closer, slipping her arms around him and pressing her face into his back. “ _Haise_... I know you're in there... Please... Please come back to me. I... _We_ need you.”

With that, an eerie, unsettling silence fell. Haise seemed frozen, until his hand dropped and he hunched over. A choked sob broke the quiet, and he buried his face in his hands. All you could hear was the painful crying of a broken man.

“T-Touka-chan... I-I thought... I thought I... _lost_ you... I just... _I just_...”

Tears filled her own eyes, spilling out onto her cheeks, and she hugged him tighter. “Shhh... it's all right. I'm all right. We're all right.”

As for the Quinx... They just stood there, in shock at what their mentor had done. But then suddenly, Mutsuki's phone went off, and he quickly pulled it out to check it. He immediately paled.

“I texted Mado-san for back up... They're almost here.”

“Shit!” Shirazu cursed. “Fuck, they're not gonna react well to this. Sassan's bad enough, but Touka-san?”

“What should we do?” Saiko whimpered.

Mutsuki winced. “Mado-san said that she'd get Arima-san to come with them. He can do something, right?”

“...Hopefully,” Urie muttered, speaking up for the first time. “I can't believe I'm saying this... but we really need him right now.”

Silence once again fell, except for Sasaki's weeping. Perhaps, if Urie had said that a year or two ago, they would have been shocked. But all of them had changed, and matured for the better. Mutsuki reached out, placing his hand on Urie's arm.

“I'm sure Arima-san will be able to protect them. Their... _project_ is at stake, after all.”

Urie scowled, looking away. “Don't remind me.”

Just... why did all of this have to happen?


	8. Welcome Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Choices must be made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope this chapter answers some questions regarding what happened between the start of :re and this fic.

Thursday, May 8, 2014.

_It had all begun one fateful day, while working in :Re._

_Closing time was approaching, and Touka was busy behind the counter, carefully washing and putting away the ceramic cups. It had been a busy day, and she was rather tired. She still needed to do some studying, so she planned on making a nice hot cup of coffee, propping up her feet, and going over her notes once she got home._

_She heard the bell ring, signaling a customer entering. Her back was to the door, as she was putting away the cup she had been drying, so she did not see who it was. Footsteps sounded behind her, but before she could turn around, they had reached her and spoke._

“ _Ah, Kirishima-san—pardon me, but is this a good time?”_

_That voice—good thing she had just put away the cup, otherwise she would have dropped it. Touka turned around to face a nervously smiling and awkward looking Sasaki Haise. For a few weeks now, he had been a regular at :Re, since that first day. In all honesty, it pained her to see him each time. It reminded her too much of the past._

“ _Oh, no, it's fine, Sasaki-san,” she said, giving him a gentle, albeit slightly sad, smile. “We're almost to closing, but I can get you something real quick.”_

“ _No, no, that's not why I'm here!” He let out a nervous chuckle. “I was wondering if you had a moment to chat.”_

_He... wanted to talk? She smiled softly, reaching up to tuck some of her hair behind her ear._

“ _I'd love to, but I have an exam coming up and I need to study once I close up,” she replied apologetically._

“ _Oh! Of course, of course.” He rubbed the back of his head. “You're in college then, I take it?”_

_She nodded. “Yeah, I attend Kamii University. I'm studying business.”_

_He blinked in surprise. “Ah... Kamii University?” He said he words hesitatingly, as if they burned his tongue. “I've heard it's very hard to get accepted. You must be really smart.”_

_That comment surprised her a little, and it showed. She just shook her head. “Well, it's more like a had a great role model when it comes to studying. He inspired me to push myself harder.”_

_Of course... she was talking about him._

“ _I see, I see,” he said, scratching his nose. “Still, it's admirable. Sometimes I wish I went to college instead of becoming an investigator.”_

_Oh, Sasaki... if he only knew. Her smile once again grew sad. She felt that dull ache return to her chest. She wished so badly that she could just tell him, but that was far from a good idea. How troubling this all was..._

“ _Well, thank you, Sasaki-san,” she said. “It was always my dream to have my own coffee shop, so I'm studying so I can manage it better.”_

_He smiled a little. “It's nothing, Kirishima-san! My apologies for bothering you, though. I'll be on my way now. Good luck with your studying.”_

_He turned to go, and she all but panicked. No! She couldn't lose this chance!_

“ _It was no bother!” she blurted hastily, which caused him to pause. “Actually... tomorrow, I'm off from work since I have a big exam. We could talk then, if you'd like.”_

_Those words make his face light up in a way so reminiscent of his old self. “Ah, yes! That sounds wonderful. We could, uh, go somewhere?” He scratched his chin thoughtfully. “How does the bookstore sound? Takatsuki Sen's new novel is out and I've been meaning to get it, but I hate going there alone.”_

_She just smiled, and nodded. Even with memory loss, his tastes hadn't changed, and it was reassuring. The boy she knew and fell in love with was still there, deep down inside. Maybe there was some hope for them after all. Or was she still asking too much?_

“ _It's a date.”_

* * *

_Saturday, March 5, 2016._

Her eyes shot open, and Touka found herself staring at a blank white ceiling, laying in a bed. For a moment, she was confused and disoriented. Where was she? How did she get here? The last thing she could remember—the CCG coming and taking them all.

_Fuck fuck fuck-_

Touka jerked upright, only to see that she was in some kind of hospital room. She glanced down at herself, dressed in a white hospital gown, hand immediately going to her stomach. A wave of relief rushed through her as she felt the gentle protrusion. Her first worry was gone; nothing had happened to the baby. But she was covered in bandages.

Looking to the door, her thoughts immediately went to Haise. Where was he? Was he all right? Had they done something to him? Oh, god, and what about Yoriko? Had they gotten her out, too? Dammit, she needed to get out of here and find them and make sure they were okay-

Just then, it opened, and in stepped a solemn looking Saiko. She seemed to lighten up a bit at the sight of Touka being awake.

“Papa,” she said, approaching the side of the bed. “I'm so glad you're up.”

But before the ghoul could even speak, Saiko reached out, getting up on the side of the bed to put her arms around Touka and buried her face into her chest. Touka froze out of surprise, before returning the embrace, an unsettled feeling descending upon her. If Saiko was behaving like this... _what the hell had happened_? Whatever it was, it wasn't good.

“...Saiko... what's wrong?”

The girl shuddered. “It's... Maman... the higher ups are arguing over what to do with him... I-I'm scared, Papa... They wanna... they wanna _kill_ him.”

Touka stiffened, all the color draining from her face. This... This was all her fault. If she hadn't let herself be kidnapped, none of this would have happened... Haise wouldn't have regained his memories and gone berserk. They... were all going to die, weren't they? Damn the CCG... Doves could never be trusted. Unless they had some ghoul in them, no matter how little.

“I-I'm so scared,” Saiko whispered. “E-Everything is happening so fast, and I... I dunno what to do... I can't... I can't lose you and Maman...”

Touka squeezed her eyes shut. “I don't know what to do either, Saiko...”

This always happened. Right as things were going so well, and they had been planning a future together... the CCG had to come and ruin it all. Every single time. It was a vicious, destructive cycle, and this time it would end with not only their deaths but the death of an unborn child.

Tears began to prick at her eyes as she hugged Saiko tighter.

_All I wanted was to be happy._

* * *

Monday, July 7, 2014.

“ _Sasaki, what did you wish for?”_

_Touka had been invited over to the Chateau for Tanabata, but ended up being in the house alone with Sasaki since the Quinx had gone out for festival activities—aka Saiko dragging Shirazu out and Mutsuki tagging along with a begrudging Urie. Currently, they were sitting on the floor at the small wooden table, steaming cups of coffee cooling on it. She was referring to the bamboo tree that was set up in one of the corners, with folded pieces of paper tied to it._

_Sasaki's eyes widened slightly and his cheeks tinted pink. “Oh, uh, w-well—it's kind of... personal.”_

“ _Oh. I see...” Her gaze flickered down to her cup of coffee. “Sorry. I didn't mean to cross any boundaries.”_

“ _It's... It's fine,” he said quietly, also looking away._

_With that, a silence fell between them. Touka lifted her cup and took a sip of coffee. Even after these past couple of months... there was still a..._ barrier _between them. It was like Sasaki was hesitating about something. There had been so many chances and opportunities for their relationship to go to the next level—for them to become something_ more _—but something was holding him back. And it saddened her._

_But she was so focused on her coffee that she hadn't noticed that he had looked back at her._

“ _Touka... Actually... I should tell you.”_

_She looked back up to meet his gaze. There was a serious intensity in his gray eyes, to the point where she almost shivered. Whatever was on his mind... it was important. She set down her coffee mug._

“ _...All right.”_

_There was a pause before he spoke. “What I wished for—well, to be frank, I wished for a future with you.”_

_With those words, her cheeks flushed a brilliant shade of scarlet. She couldn't even find her voice. This was what she, too, had wished for, what she had wanted for such a long time now. And now she was speechless._

“ _It's just—I don't know. From the moment we met, I felt like I've known you before.” He lowered his eyes. “These past couple of months have been the best days of my life, because I've gotten to spend them with you. You're... very dear to me, Touka.” Finally, he smiled, lighting up his handsome face. “And I want to be with you, if you'll have me.”_

_Hearing that made her heart skip a bit. It was almost too good to be true._

“ _But... I have to know.” Once again, his eyes locked with hers, a pained, troubled look in them. “Did we.... Did we know each other before this? Before... I lost my memory?”_

_...Of course he had to ask that..._

_A heavy sigh escaped her lips, the shock having finally subsided. “Sasaki...”_

“ _Please, call me Haise.”_

“ _...Haise.” It sounded different on her tongue;_ nicer _. “Do you really want to know?”_

_He nodded, his lips pressed into a firm line. “Please. I'm... tired of all this deja vu.”_

_She could see the pain in his eyes; a pain identical to the daily agony she endured because he did not remember. She knew she could not withhold it from him. She sighed softly, hoping that the truth would not ruin anything._

“ _...Yes,” she said quietly. “We knew each other. We were good friends.”_

And I wish we had a chance to be something more.

_His eyes widened. “Does that mean... are you...?”_

_She tucked in her chin. “Yes. I'm a ghoul.”_

_Silence fell. She braced herself for the inevitable—rejection, abandonment ~~again~~ , or the worst, an attack. But instead, he just smiled sadly. _

“ _Then I can protect you and :Re. That's all I want to do.”_

You really haven't changed that much, have you, Kaneki?

_Touka finally gave him a gentle smile. “Haise... In all honesty, I have been waiting for you to ask. So, yes—I would love to be with you.”_

_That blindingly bright smile returned. “Touka... You've made me the happiest man alive! You won't regret this, I promise.”_

“ _I could never regret it, anyways.”_

* * *

_Saturday, March 5, 2016._

The door opened as Saiko pulled away, and a vaguely familiar woman walked in. Touka recognized her from when the CCG had come to rescue them, but there was something else about her that was unsettling. Whether it was her pale blonde hair, or the way she carried herself, Touka had no idea. But there was... _something_...

“Ah, you're awake,” she said, seeming faintly relieved, shifting the file in her arms. “Good. You're... Kirishima Touka, correct?”

“...Yes.”

“I'm Mado Akira,” she said. “First class investigator and partner to Haise. I would say it's nice to finally meet you, but these are not the circumstances I expected.”

Touka fought the urge to wince. “The same goes to you.”

Akira sighed, pausing to open up the file. “Arima-san is still trying to reach a compromise with the higher ups to let both you and Haise live. This here—well, it's the data we have on Project Hybrid.”

“...Project Hybrid?” Saiko asked, confusion etched in her voice.

“That's what they're calling this ridiculous 'super baby' project.” Akira looked far from pleased. “They want to see if two Quinx will produce a half ghoul child or just another Quinx. And there is, of course, now a file for your unborn child, Kirishima. The first recorded offspring of a half ghoul and a pure ghoul. There's also the fact that Haise was artificially made, which may affect some factors.”

Hearing that made Saiko react, hand jerked up to cover her mouth. “O-Oh my god...”

This was _exactly_ what she and Haise had feared...

“If you wish to live, there's no way of getting out of it,” Akira stated flatly, an almost cold look fixing on the ghoul. “Or would you rather die than assist the CCG?”

Touka narrowed her eyes. “This isn't just my life.”

Much to their surprise, a faint smile seemed to tug at Akira's lips. “Mmm... was just testing you. You do truly love Haise, don't you?”

“Of course I do.”

This time, Akira gave a genuine smile, closing the folder in her hands. “I just wanted to make sure.” With that, she turned to Saiko. Yonebayashi, come with me. Kirishima needs to change before she can leave the room.”

“O-Oh, right!” Saiko slid off the bed, and padded over to where the older woman was standing. “Are we just gonna wait for Papa?”

Akira nodded. “Correct.” She then glanced back at where Touka was still on the bed. “You'll find fresh clothes in the drawer over there. Your friend—Kosaka, was it?—brought them in for you.”

With that, the investigator ushered the Quinx out of the room, leaving Touka once again alone. Heaving herself up from the hospital bed, she walked over to where Akira had gestured to. Opening the drawer, there was indeed a set of clothing from her apartment neatly folded up inside. She carefully took them out, thoughts drifting to her best friend.

Yoriko... was she okay? She guessed the CCG had found her and rescued her. She wished she could see her, to make sure that everything was all right. But no, she had to deal with the CCG right now. Ugh. Hopefully this would be over quick.

She quickly slipped out of the hospital gown, letting it drop to the floor. It only took a few moments to change into the fresh clothes—a pair of jeans and a sweater, along with clean undergarments. She went back to the bed to sit down so she could put socks on, finally noticing the pair of boots sitting next to the side. She slipped them on afterward, and then stood back up and headed for the door.

Opening it, she stepped outside, where the investigator and Quinx were waiting. As soon as she noticed Touka, Saiko's face lit up and she moved closer, linking her arm with hers.

“Papa! We're gonna see Maman now!”

A wave of relief rushed through her. She wanted to see him—no, she _needed_ to. His mental state was probably far from good, and she needed to make sure he was all right. She needed to know what he wanted to do. Was he still willing to work with the CCG? Or would he... want to end it all?

Touka forced a smile, although it was quite a sad one. “Wonderful. How is he?”

Akira winced ever so slightly. “He's calmed down now, but earlier, when he first woke up, he demanded where you were and became extremely aggressive when no one gave him an answer. They had to bind him down.” She let out a sigh. “But like I said, he's calmed down now and the bindings have been removed. I'm not sure how he is doing otherwise, as he refuses to see anyone but you.”

...Typical Kaneki. He wasn't nearly as stubborn as her, but sometimes it seemed like he came _pretty_ close. She merely nodded, folding her arms over her chest.

“All right. Take me to him.”

Akira gave her own nod, turning around and proceeding to walk down the hall. The two other women followed suit. Touka decided to take this opportunity to ask the Quinx a couple of questions.

“Saiko?” She looked over at the shorter girl. “Where are the others?”

She winced. “Mucchan isn't feeling well, so Urie stayed back at the Chateau with him. Shiragin is staying at Maman's door. I was with him, but I've been checking on you.”

“Ah...” She frowned. “Will Mutsuki be all right?”

Saiko's discomfort was evident with the grimace that formed on her lips. “That's right... You don't know.”

“...Don't know what?”

Saiko wrapped her arms around herself. “W-Well... Mutsuki and I... The scientists, they...”

Akira glanced back at them, a subtle sadness in her eyes. “The scientists impregnated Mutsuki and Yonebayashi without their permission for Project Hybrid.”

Touka stopped dead in her tracks, eyes wide with horror. “W-What?! That's-”

“Insane, we know,” Akira sighed, facing forward again. “The higher ups don't always take our feelings into consideration, however. They would even say that they had every right to do that, seeing as the Quinx basically gave up their rights to their bodies when entering the program.”

That was absolutely... _absurd_. Touka hadn't even been aware that Mutsuki was biologically female. Oh, just all the more of a reason to despise the CCG. The cycle would never end, it seemed.

“Well... I am here to support you both,” she said quietly, trying to be reassuring. “I mean, I'm going through the same thing.”

Three months along—the end of the first trimester. It was a miracle she hadn't lost the baby in all that chaos, but now with the CCG sticking their nose into everything, once again nothing was certain. Touka wished, that for once in her life, things would remain stable. But that would never happen, it seemed. Such was the life of a ghoul.

“...I'm here as well,” Akira added, finally fully turning around to face them. “After all, I have a two year old at home. None of you are alone on this.”

Saiko sniffed. “T-Thank you, Papa. Thank you, Mado-san. It... really means a lot.”

Akira just smiled. “Haise called us a family, didn't he? I'm not about to ignore that.”

A family, huh? Well, maybe there was still a chance... that that could remain. Yes, these people were doves. But if Haise called them his family, perhaps she should give them a chance. The Quinx were different; they were part ghoul, and for that Touka readily accepted them. But the other doves that Haise knew? They were human. Food. The enemy. The ones they truly had to watch for.

But if Akira could accept _Haise_... perhaps there was hope yet.

“ _Family_. That does... sound nice,” she said, speaking up at last.

“Haise wouldn't want it any other way.”

* * *

Wednesday, September 10, 2014.

“ _Touka, why are we here at the hospital?”_

_She glanced over at Haise, as they were standing out in front of the general hospital in the first ward. There was, of course, a good reason that she had brought him here. She had asked him to come with her to visit someone. That certain someone had just recently woken up from a coma. Someone who had meant everything to him in his previous life._

“ _There's someone I want you to meet,” she said. “The friend I told you about—who was in a coma. He's finally woken up and is well enough to have visitors.”_

_Hearing that, his face lit up a bit. “Oh, what's wonderful! Yes, I would love to meet him. What happened to put him in a coma, though?”_

_Touka winced. “He got... into an accident with ghouls. It was a miracle he even survived.”_

_He paled a little, eyes widening ever so slightly. “That's... That's horrible. How long had he been in that coma?”_

“ _...Two years.” With that, she took a step forward. “Come on, let's head inside. Shouldn't keep him waiting.”_

_She led the way inside the hospital, Haise following her closely from behind. In all honesty, hospitals made Touka uneasy. It was the mix of smells, from the sanitary hospital smell to the juicy aroma of, well, food. It was a strange combination, and she disliked it immensely. But she would endure it for his sake._

_They reached the hallway that held their destination, and when reaching the door, Touka pulled it open, gesturing for Haise to step inside._

“ _Here we are.”_

_He nodded, and headed in, and she went in after him. At the sound of footsteps, the person in the bed perked up, slowly pushing himself into more of a sitting position. The door clicked shut right as his eyes locked on the other man, a look of surprise flickering over his face._

“ _Hide,” Touka greeted him, stopping beside Haise. “I told you I'd bring him. This is Sasaki Haise, my boyfriend. Haise, this is Nagachika Hideyoshi.”_

_Hide flashed a bright, but slightly tired smile. “Just call me Hide. Nice to finally meet the guy that swept Touka-chan off her feet.”_

“ _H-Hide!” Touka stammered, feeling her cheeks heat up._

_He just laughed cheekily. “I'm teasing, I'm teasing! You're so easy to mess with.”_

_She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Well, I'm glad to see you're feeling chipper.” Glancing over at her boyfriend, she noticed that he was kind of staring at Hide in shock, tears budding in his eyes, like how he had reacted the first time they had met. Expression softening, she reached out to place her hand on his arm. He looked down at her in surprise, not having realized she had noticed._

_Hide chuckled. “Heh, so am I! The doc says if I keep healing at the rate I am, I'll be able to leave and go back to college in no time!”_

“ _Ah, t-that's wonderful,” Haise said, speaking for the first time. “It must be boring, stuck in bed all day.”_

“ _Haha... Yeah...” Hide's face had fallen. “My best friend—he was in a similar situation. But... he's been gone for a while now. He just disappeared out of the blue.”_

_Haise's eyes widened again. “That... must have been rough.”_

“ _Yeah...” But then Hide grinned again. “But enough about that! I wanna hear how you two met.”_

_Touka couldn't help but laugh a little. “Okay, okay, I guess we can tell you.”_

_They were going to be here for a while, but she didn't mind._

* * *

_Saturday, March 5, 2016._

She carefully pulled open the door, stepped inside, and then quietly shut it behind her. There he was, laying on the bed on the far side of the room. Folding her arms across her chest, she padded over. As soon as she came into view, he reacted, jerking upward, gray eyes locking on her. She gave him a sad smile.

“Haise.”

Instead of saying anything, he reached out, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her into a tight embrace. A bit startled at first, it took her a moment to react, slipping her own arms around him and resting her cheek on his shoulder. Seconds later, his hand darted down to press against her stomach.

“The baby is fine,” she said quietly, pulling back a little to look at him.

A wave of relief seemed to rush through him, and he finally relaxed, shoulders slumping and looking away. “Thank God... I was so _worried_...”

She placed a hand on his cheek, turning his head so he had no choice but to look at her. “What about you?”

He stiffened for a moment, before squeezing his eyes shut. “I-I... I don't know.”

Silence fell between them, and Touka lowered her hand, letting it drop down to his shoulder. What was she supposed to say now? They needed to talk about their predicament, but he was still so _fragile_. It just reminded her of all the reasons she knew that he should never regain his memories. But it was too late now. He was broken even more.

“...Haise...” She sighed heavily. “You know what we need to talk about.”

“...Yes.”

She hesitated for a moment. “...What do you want to do?”

He sighed, pulling away and scooting further back onto the bed. “We don't really have a choice, do we? It's either comply with their demands or die. It can't... be _that_ bad... right?”

Touka had no idea what exactly he had had to endure since coming to the CCG. He rarely ever talked about it. But she doubted it was pleasant. She didn't want that life for their child. But he was right. What choice did they have? Death wasn't the answer. That was like... giving up. They would figure this out. Somehow.

“...All right.” She nodded, reaching out to take his hand into hers. “We'll get through this together. And we have the Quinx to take care of as well.”

“Yeah...” He finally smiled a little. “And... I'm glad I can finally remember everything about you, Touka. I will make up everything to you, I swear.”

She just smiled softly, shaking her head. “There's no need, Haise. I'm just happy to have you back... completely.”

_Welcome home, Kaneki_.

 


	9. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Touka begins her new life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is late, and for that I apologize. Life got in the way. But please enjoy!

_Monday, March 7, 2016._

“Papa's here!”

Barely had the door clicked shut behind Touka when Saiko came tearing down the hallway—she sure could move fast when she wanted to—and proceeded to glomp the older woman. Touka let out a soft laugh as she stepped back to take Saiko's weight. The door opened again, and this time Haise stepped inside, holding two of his girlfriend's suitcases, which held the last of her things that needed to be moved to the Chateau.

Saiko pulled away. “I'm so happy you're coming to live with us, Papa.”

The smile that formed on Touka's lips as a bit forced, but she nodded. “I'm glad to be here with all of you, too.”

Yesterday, the transition had begun. Touka was officially part of _Project Hybrid_ , as it had come to be called. The deal was simple—as long as she participated in the monitoring of her pregnancy and then the induction of her child into the experiment, she and anyone affiliated with :Re would be safe. There would be no investigations, no raids, no murders... but at what cost?

And as much as she had grown to adore the Quinx Squad, she had lost her freedom. Yes, she would be able to continue to attend Kamii University and run :Re, but otherwise she would be watched like a hawk. At least... she would be able to protect the others.

Haise gave a slight smile. “So, it's official now—Touka is one of us! This is her home now, so mind her and be helpful.”

The others had since approached, and Shirazu moved to take one of the suitcases from Haise, who welcomed the assistance.

“Of course, Sasaki-san,” Mutsuki said. “I don't know what I can do, Kirishima-san, but I'm here to help if you need it.”

Touka shook her head. “I'm here to help too. We've all been dragged into the same situation. I know Haise here thinks I need to be waited on hand and foot, but I _don't_.”

Haise let out a strained laugh, reaching up to rub the back of his head with his free hand. “I just worry about you, Touka!”

She gave him an exasperated look. “I'm not _helpless_. Sheesh.”

“Okay, okay,” he said, a bit flustered as he raised his hands. “I'll try to tone it down. But for now, let's get you settled in, all right?”

* * *

Touka had finished unpacking and putting her clothes away in the closet in the room she would be sharing with Haise, and was stepping out into the hallway. By the sounds of it, dinner had just been finished up, as she could hear the loud, boisterous banter of the Quinx below. Deciding to go down to see them, she started heading out of the room, only to pause by the mirror she had brought from her old apartment, place up against the wall.

Her reflection caught her attention. She hadn't really noticed, but her hair had grown longer, close to brushing against her shoulders. It still looked light and fluffy, the nicest it had been in a while—all effects of the pregnancy. Hands dropping down to flatten the fabric of her shirt over her belly. The bump was so obvious now, something her classmates at Kamii made her painfully aware of.

But now, that seemed the least of her worries.

“...Touka?”

She looked over at the doorway, and there stood Haise. For some reason, he smiled. She couldn't help but feel a bit self-conscious, hands dropping down to her sides as she gave him a suspicious look.

“...What?”

“Nothing,” he chuckled. “I'm just amazed by how beautiful you are.”

His words make her cheeks flush, and she crossed her arms over her chest. “You're just saying that.”

“Nope.” He continued smiling. “You're stunning as always, Touka. Gaining a little weight isn't going to change that.”

She felt her cheeks get even hotter. “S-Shut up, idiot.”

He just grinned. “So I still can make you blush and stammer after all this time? Some things really don't change.”

That just made her scowl at him, puffing out her cheeks. “You're still dumb as always. I had hoped it wouldn't come back along with your memories.”

Haise laughed, rubbing the back of his head. “You'll still take me, stupidity and all, right?”

Despite the silliness of their conversation, the question was quite serious. While Touka had had no real choice in any of this, he was still asking, still wanting to clarify. Her expression softened, and she reached up to tuck some of her hair behind her ear.

“Yes. There's no one else I want.”

His entire face lit up, eyes shining with joy. “Touka-chan... You're the only one I want, too.”

A warm feeling settled in her heart, matching her smile. But before she could say anything, something seemed to click in Haise's mind, because he snapped his fingers.

“Oh, I remember what I came here for! I wanted to show you the room we've chosen for the nursery. It's going to be for all the babies, until they get older. Saves space and will make it easier to watch all of them.”

That was a brilliant idea, obviously. It would be way too difficult to take care of three babies, all in different rooms. Yet, it was a _reminder_ of how insane this whole thing was—the CCG, who hunted down ghouls, was essentially trying to breed ghouls to kill other ghouls. And while the Quinx's Rc count was low enough for them to eat human food, making them essentially humans with kagune, the other investigators treated them with extreme prejudice.

She only feared what their child would endure. Haise was a half ghoul, and he got enough shit as it was, from what she was aware of. Their child with have even _more_ ghoul in them. What they would even be like was a mystery. Would they have kakugan in both eyes? Would they be more powerful than full blooded ghouls? Only time would tell.

“All right,” she said, nodding. “That sounds like a good idea. I'd like to see it.”

He smiled again, and gestured for her to follow him. She left the bedroom with him, and he led her a bit further down the hallway. Touka wasn't sure how many rooms were in this house, but there had to be a lot, seeing as it was a big place, and new Quinx would come here temporarily before being assigned to a different squad. Honestly, it was a bit disturbing how some people were so willing to sell their bodies to the CCG like that.

“Here we are,” Haise said, pulling open the door at the end of the hall, and she followed him inside. “It's the largest unoccupied room we have. We'll have to move the furniture out, but that's not too bad.”

Touka stepped a little further inside, looking around. Indeed, it was one of the larger bedrooms in the Chateau. A twin sized bed was pressed up against the right wall, and there was a dresser and a nightstand, but that was it. Since no one lived here, it didn't have much. The walls were void of color, however, being stark white, and the hard wooden floor wasn't suited for a nursery.

“So, what do you think?” he asked, stopping next to her.

“...We need to make some changes,” she said, looking up at him. “The walls need to be repainted—a soft, but pretty color. The floor needs a carpet. Nurseries need to be baby-friendly, and this room isn't.”

He winced briefly. “That's what Mutsuki said. He's been doing research on pregnancy and raising children since this whole debacle started. It's only been a couple of days, but he's on top of things.”

She smiled a little. “That's admirable—especially considering how difficult this will be for him.”

He grimaced. “I know. I still can't believe they did that to him...”

“I'm not surprised,” she muttered.

He let out a heavy sigh. “Anyways... the setup we're planning is this—the three cribs up against the walls, with tables between them. So we'll have plenty of storage for everything. Though, I think I better leave choosing the furniture and stuff to you, haha.”

Another smile tugged at her lips, and she shook her head, reaching up to place her hand on his shoulder. “No, _everyone_ should have some input. This is for _all_ of our children.”

With a sheepish smile, Haise rubbed the back of his head. “Good point. It's just... kind of hard for me to grasp everything that has happened recently.”

Touka... understood. It had all happened so fast. First her getting pregnant, then the kidnapping, Haise's memories returning, the CCG becoming involved, and now they were living together. And while this was the best outcome, Touka was extremely apprehensive towards what would happen. She lowered her hand from his shoulder, glancing down at the floor.

“I know,” she sighed. “Still... you should be proud of yourself for taking it all so well, Haise.”

“I suppose...” But then he smiled, and slipped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. “But enough about that. Let's go downstairs.”

“Okay. I can help with some of the chores.”

* * *

Nighttime had fallen, and everyone was settling down to go to bed. Haise was in the shower, and Touka, after snagging a quick late night snack that had been hidden in the refrigerator from the others, had slipped into her pajamas—just a tank top and a pair of shorts with bunnies all over them—and plopped down on the bed, her back up against the pillows on her side. There was no sound, except for the soft pounding of the water shooting from the shower onto the bathtub floor inside the bathroom.

But now... that she was alone, and had nothing to occupy her time... Touka felt incredibly out of place. Yes, Haise and the Quinx weren't completely human themselves and they had accepted her, but it would not erase the fact that she was a ghoul amongst the doves. She was what they hunted. She had killed doves in the past. If they ever found out she was the _real_ Rabbit, what would they do?

Well... she couldn't let that happen.

She pulled her knees up, and wrapped her arms around them. The slight protrusion of her belly got in the way a little, but she didn't care. The blinds on the single rectangular window in the room were shut, blocking out the dark night. She didn't realize how anxious she was feeling without Haise around. Yes, he was nearby, but it wasn't... _enough_.

Her nervousness was making her stomach clench, a sense of nausea returning—a feeling that should be disappearing in her third month of pregnancy. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath to steady herself. If she didn't calm down, she would make herself sick, and she needed to keep the food she had eaten down.

She heard the shower click off, and a wave of relief rushed through her. Haise would be coming out soon. With a sigh, she let her legs drop down onto the bed. She was being ridiculous, wasn't she? Here, at the Chateau, she was safe— _relatively_. Haise wouldn't let anything happen to her.

She just... couldn't stop thinking... of the last things doves had done to her. Back when she was still a second year in high school, there had been that one psycho dove... The dove that had ruthlessly murdered Mrs. Fueguchi, Hinami's mother. That human had been more of a monster than her... leaving no choice but to _kill_ him in order to protect Anteiku and everyone in it. But even in the end, that had not been enough. Anteiku was still destroyed.

_I still have nightmares about it, and it's been four, going on five years._

She had been so absorbed in her own thoughts, she hadn't noticed that the bathroom door had opened and Haise had stepped out, wearing just a pair of boxers, a towel thrown over his head. He blinked, noticing his girlfriend's unusual demeanor.

“Touka? Everything all right?”

She snapped to attention, looking over to where he was standing. He looked kinda silly with that towel over his head, and that helped her relax a little. She gave a weak shrug before leaning back into the pillows. She wasn't sure how to answer that question.

He sighed, reaching up to finish towel drying his hair, then hanging the towel on the door knob. With that, he joined her on the bed, the mattress sinking down slightly due to the added weight. For a moment, there was just silence. It wasn't awkward at all, but it was obvious that Haise sensed something was wrong.

“Touka-chan...” His voice was gentle as he reached out to place his hand over hers. “What's bothering you?”

She was quiet for a moment, turning her head to look at the pale wall. “I... miss my apartment. I miss being able to just go across the hall to see Yomo if I needed to. I miss the _freedom_.”

He didn't respond right away, fingers wrapping more tightly around her hand. “I miss it too, Touka. But... it really isn't so bad here. I know it's hard, but... I'm here with you.”

She turned her head back to look at him, and he gave her a warm smile. Yeah... Her moods were just being affected by the pregnancy. Despite the changes she was being forced to make, she wasn't alone. She still had Yomo, and damn Nishiki, if she wanted to count him. And to top it off, she had a new family with Haise—yes, the Quinx were her new family.

“Nothing can separate us now,” he said. “We will _always_ be together, all right? I know it may not mean much, but I _promise_ I won't leave you. Not this time.”

Hearing him say that resurfaced the pain and frustration she had felt those years ago. She wanted to believe him, but after he broke that promise once before, it was hard to. Touka said nothing. Instead, she slid closer, slipping her arms around him and resting her cheek on his bare shoulder. He was a bit surprised, but returned the embrace after a moment.

“Just... hold me.”

* * *

_Tuesday, March 8, 2016._

Morning came, and the kitchen was bustling with activity as everyone was getting ready for another busy day of work. Touka was the last to come down, as the stench of human food cooking had been so appalling she couldn't handle it until it subsided a bit. As soon as she entered the kitchen, she was greeted by Saiko, Mutsuki, and Shirazu, while Haise went to get something out of the fridge.

“This is for you, Touka,” he said, holding out a rather fat package wrapped up in brown paper.

Of course, everyone must have realized what it was. Saiko turned a little green, while Shirazu's eyes widened ever so slightly, and Mutsuki paled. She accepted the package from him, a waft of its sweet aroma drifting towards her nose. Her stomach let out a growl.

“...I can take this upstairs,” she said, knowing they really did not want to see her eating.

“Oh, no, it's fine, Kirishima-san!” Mutsuki exclaimed hastily, raising his hands. “We're all going to see Dr. Shiba before work starts.”

“Y-Yeah!” Shirazu added. “Saiko and Tooru need check ups.”

“Ah, well let me know how it goes,” Haise told them.

“We will, Maman,” Saiko confirmed, before reaching out to snag her boyfriend's hand. “Come on, Shiragin, this is super important!”

“I know, I know—yowch, don't hold on so tight!”

Touka watched as the trio exited the house, leaving her alone with Haise. Letting out a sigh, she moved over to the bar to sit. Haise followed her, and started the coffee maker, before taking out two mugs for the both of them. She began to open the package.

Everyone seemed to be handling the situation better now... There was no more panicking over being pregnant. She was unsure of how the boys would deal with becoming fathers— _especially_ Urie—but at least the panic attacks had passed. It could have been a lot worse, she supposed.

“Don't worry about making a mess,” Haise said, catching her attention as he began to pour the coffee. “I can clean it up. You need to go to class today, don't you?”

She winced. “Yes. My grades are suffering with everything that's been going on... I need to study more. I may stay at the library for a bit once class is out. Yomo-san said he'd cover my shift today.”

He nodded sadly, sliding the cup of coffee to her. “Understandable... Have you heard from Yoriko-san?”

Smiling a little, she gently wrapped her hands around the mug and pulled it closer to her. “Yeah, I have. She's worried sick... At least I can see her today.”

“That's great!” Haise exclaimed happily. “And remember, if you need anything, I'm just a phone call away.”

She bit her lip, holding back a retort. Damn, his over-protectiveness wouldn't end, would it? And while she appreciated that he was worried about her and was just trying to make the transition easier, she didn't want to be smothered. It seemed they had some kinks to work out still. Though in all honesty, Touka wanted to get away from the CCG for a bit.

She wanted to try to contact Hinami.

“I will,” she reassured him. “Don't worry.”

He smiled. “Okay, good. I'll leave you to eat now.”

Taking his own cup of coffee, he left for the living room, giving her privacy. It was appreciated, as feeding for ghouls wasn't always the more pleasant thing to witness, and could be downright embarrassing at times. She sipped some coffee before plunging in.

* * *

She could feel the stares.

Class had been somewhat bearable, but she had noticed the looks she was getting. They were whispering, saying disparaging things... all because her pregnancy was no longer hidden. It was expected, but still annoying as hell.

“Touka-chan, look at this!”

Yoriko's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and she glanced over at the bulletin boards that her friend was pointing to. There was a poster announcing Kamii's spring festival in April. It was early for a spring festival, but as it was the start of a new term, the university liked to throw some sort of celebration to get the students excited. That just reminded her of how final exams were coming up. Soon she'd be on her third year of university.

“The spring festival,” she said, looking at Yoriko. “What about it?”

“We should all go!” Yoriko exclaimed with excitement. “You, me, Haise-kun, his team! Hey, we could even invite that cute boy from the other day—Hide-kun, right?”

Touka fought the urge to smile. Of course Yoriko would ask about Hide... Despite how their first meeting had appeared, she must have taken a liking to him. Perhaps, since Touka was expecting, she was thinking more about her own future. They were still so young, though... She hoped Yoriko wouldn't rush into anything.

“I'm sure Hide would love to come along,” she said lightly. “Haise and I will have to ask him.”

She beamed. “Yes, you're the best, Touka-chan~!”

Touka couldn't help but smile this time. Yes, her entire life had taken a turn for the worse... but she still had amazing people in her life. She would never be alone again. And she would be able to protect everyone. Somehow, she'd be able to get through this. She was surrounded by her family.

“If you say so, Yoriko.” She started walking again. “C'mon, let's get some coffee before we go to the library.”

“Are you even _supposed_ to have coffee when you're pregnant?”

“...Dunno.”

“Touka-chan!”

“Okay, okay, I'll find out!”

* * *

The sun was setting when Touka finally left the library, and headed for the bookstore that Kaneki and Hinami had once frequented. When Hinami had left to join Aogiri Tree, despite how hard everyone had tried to convince her not to, they had decided on a way to keep in touch. They would place notes in a certain book at the store that never sold. As the years had gone by, they stopped doing this frequently, but Touka always checked whenever she was in the area.

Stepping inside the bookstore, the bell jingled on the door. There were a few customers inside, but it was otherwise vacant. Touka made her way towards the back of the shop, where that specific book was. She pretended to peruse the shelf before carefully slipping the note she had written in between the pages of the book.

She really hoped Hinami still checked this spot...

On her way out, she spotted a book on pregnancy, and decided to purchase it for everyone back at the Chateau. Satisfied, Touka left, and headed to catch the train back home to the First Ward.

This was her new life... She hoped she could get used to it.

 


	10. New Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ten years later, the children begin their journey.

_T_ _uesday, April_ _7_ _th_ _, 202_ _6._

* * *

" _It's quite fascinating, really. The child technically has more ghoul blood than human, yet her system appears to function exactly like that of a half ghoul."_

"Hikari, do you have everything?"

I nodded, beaming up at my mom. "Yeah, I checked my backpack like you told me to!"

Mom smiled gently, before crouching down in front of me. She made some adjustments to my uniform, which was really,  _really_  uncomfortable. The older kids had to wear blazers, but why did  _we_  have to? I puffed out my cheeks in annoyance as she started buttoning up my blazer. I hated wearing clothes that made it hard to move!

But Mom finished fixing my uniform, and after tightening the ribbons tied around my high pigtails, she stood up straight. "Now, do you remember the rules of going to school?"

I nodded. "I must keep the eyepatch on at all times. If anyone asks why I'm wearing it, I will tell them I'm blind in that eye. I will politely refuse any food offered to me and I cannot share my food with anyone. And I won't talk about ghouls with other kids."

" _Experiment #1…_ _Sasaki Hikari…_ _the first known offspring of an artificial half ghoul and a full blooded ghoul. Quite a fine specimen. She is one of the rare chimeras. She possesses dual kagune—ukaku and rinkaku. It will be incredibly intriguing to study once she develops the ability to use them. However… due to the fact that she is given limited sustenance every month, her kagune will most likely be small and weak. Therefore, the subject is not a serious threat, even in the future."_

Mom smiled again, and nodded. "I know your dad says you should be placed in a higher year due to all the studying you've been doing, but let's try fourth year out, okay?"

I pouted. "But I don't wanna be in a different year from Anna-chan and Takeshi-kun!"

"I know, Hika," she said gently, reaching down to stroke my hair. "But let's worry about that later. You've been wanting to go to school for a while now."

That  _was_  true. It was something that Anna-chan and I had talked about a lot, after hearing about Sagiso-senpai's life at school. It sounded so fun! And my human friends, Miki-chan and Youko-chan, went to the same school that we were going to! I didn't want to be separated from my friends just because I was super smart…

But I didn't get a chance to say anything, because my friends came into the room, followed by Saiko-nee and Tooru-nii.

"Ah, good, you haven't left yet," Tooru-nii said, sighing with relief. "Saiko was taking forever to fix Anna-chan's uniform."

"Hey,  _excuse me_  for wanting my baby to look perfect!" Saiko-nee huffed. "Jeez, Muu-chan!"

"Well, Haise is running late," Mom said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I told him we were running on a tight schedule, but he said he had to run down to the HQ real quick."

While our parents talked, Anna-chan and Takeshi-kun walked over to me.

Shirazu Anna was the daughter of Saiko-nee and Shirazu-nii. Okay, her parents weren't really my siblings, but we all felt like one big family here, so I called them that. Anna-chan had soft orange hair she wore braided to the side, and big, blue-green eyes. She was slightly taller than me, having recently shot up in a growth spurt a couple of months ago. She was a Quinx like her parents, but I had overheard doctors saying her Rc count was higher than theirs. She had never had any problems controlling her kakugan, unlike me. She was the youngest out of us.

Urie Takeshi was the son of Tooru-nii and Urie-san, and the oldest after me. He had short, dark purple hair, light brown skin, and dark brown eyes. He was sorta cute, I guess, if you ignored how he seemed to always be mad about something. Like even right now, he was scowling. I think he got it from Urie-san. He was a Quinx too, of course, with a higher Rc count, and when we were younger, his kakugan stayed activated all the time, and everyone thought it would be permanent like Tooru-nii's but one day it just deactivated.

" _I have discovered something odd about Experiment #1. Despite having the anatomy of a half ghoul, she has developed kakugan in both eyes. However, only one eye has activated kakugan. Nor can she control when the kakugan reveals itself. Whether this is due to having more ghoul DNA than being an equal fifty-fifty, or some other unknown development, I am not certain. I do hypothesize that it is due to the fact that she does not consume enough flesh to allow her kagune to develop to its full potential, and therefore her Rc cell count is lower than normal."_

"Hika-chan, I'm kinda nervous," Anna-chan said, fidgeting a little. "We've never been to an actual school before..."

Takeshi-kun rolled his eyes. "You're so wimpy."

"Hey!" I exclaimed, reaching out to poke him on the cheek. "Be nice, Takeshi-kun! This is a big deal!"

He glared. "Oh, shut up. And don't touch me."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "Uh uh! You can't make me!"

"Guysss!" Anna-chan whined. "Don't fight!"

I huffed, and crossed my arms over my chest. "Fiiine, but only because you asked, Anna-chan."

Takeshi-kun muttered something under his breath, but I decided to ignore it, because the front door opened and finally my dad came in.

"DADDY!" I cheered, rushing over to hug him. "You're back!"

He laughed and reached down to scoop me up into his arms. "Of course I'm back. I'm here to walk everyone to school!"

"We have to  _walk_?" Anna-chan gasped in surprise.

"What, are you lazy now, too?" Takeshi-kun asked.

"Stop being mean to Anna-chan!" I retorted.

"Now now, kids, be nice," Dad chided, before setting me back down on the floor. "Today's a big day. I want none of you fighting."

I huffed, puffing out my cheeks before shooting a glare at Takeshi-kun. He glared right back at me. Ugh! Why was he so  _mean_?! If Dad wasn't here, I'd probably kick him in his skinny little shins.

"Hika?"

Dad's voice snapped me out of my grumbling thoughts, and I looked up at him. "Yes, Daddy?"

"Do you remember your profile?" he asked me.

Oh, right… They had come up with some kind of story to explain why I had the eyepatch and why I had to follow such a specific diet. I got why they had to do it, but it was still… kind of embarrassing. Anna-chan and Takeshi-kun were so lucky they could eat human food. But the grown-ups were so smart. It had been Tooru-nii's idea to disguise my food in a boxed lunch. The higher ups hadn't wanted me to be allowed to eat every day, but since I was going to school, I had to. But it was strictly limited...

"Yeah," I answered. "Um, I'm sickly and have to follow a certain diet. I can't eat what the other kids eat because it's unhealthy for me. But the sickness doesn't stop me from not being able to play in gym!"

Dad gave a thumbs up. "You got it! All right, now that I've covered that, we're all set to go."

" _Due to recent developments, we will have to keep an eye on the development of Experiment #1's kagune. We are closely monitoring her intake of flesh, but going from eating once a month to eating every day, regardless of how small the portions are, is bound to cause some changes. If it does give her kagune enough Rc cells to form, we will have to be on vigil to make sure she does not go berserk. Even the young offspring of ghouls can be extremely dangerous, as seen in the case of Fueguchi."_

So after that, Dad took us out of the Chateau. I always liked going for walks, like when Mom would take us down to :RE with her for the day because she had to work and there was no one home to watch us. But our school was a little farther away from home than the coffee shop was. It didn't bother me that much, but Anna-chan looked a little winded when we got there.

But right as Dad walked us up to the front gate, two other dads with their kids came up, too, and they were familiar.

"Miki-chan! Youko-chan!" I cried with delight before rushing over to them.

It was Nishio Miki and Nagachika Youko, with their dads Nishio Nishiki and Nagachika Hide, who were old friends of my dad!

"Heeeey, if it isn't Haise!" Uncle Hide exclaimed in his usual cheerful way. "You brought the whole fam, huh?"

Nishiki-san rolled his eyes, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I'm surprised he can even keep them all in order."

Dad let out a nervous laugh, and rubbed the back of his head. "Haha, good one, Nishiki-san!"

I decided to ignore them and pay attention to my friends.

Miki-chan was a year younger than me, but since she was born so early in the year, we were in the same grade. She was the adopted human daughter of Nishiki-san, who was a ghoul, and his wife Kimi-san, who was human. Nishiki-san found her as a baby, left for dead in a dumpster, and since they couldn't have any kids, they took her in as their own. She had chocolate brown hair she wore in low pigtails, and brown eyes.

Youko-chan was two years younger than me, and was a second year. She was Uncle Hide and Aunt Yoriko's daughter. Her parents were best friends with my parents, so we practically grew up together. That also meant she knew about us—I mean, what we were. She had straight strawberry blonde hair that went down to her shoulders, and hazel eyes.

"I'm so glad we get to go to the same school!" I gushed, clasping my hands together. "I wish you were in our year, Youko-chan."

She pouted. "I knooow… It's not fair."

"Hika-chan, I hope we're in the same class," Miki-chan said.

I nodded excitedly. "Me too! I wanna make the best of this!"

" _This will be quite interesting to see indeed."_

* * *

_Saturday, April 4th, 2015._

* * *

" _Ahhh, your university is so cool, Papa!"_

_It was the day of the festival, and of course, Touka and Haise took the Quinx over to Kamii for a day full of fun. The day was warm, but crisp, perfect weather for early spring. Touka watched in amusement as Saiko, Shirazu, and Mutsuki all looked around in amazement, while Urie lingered behind the couple, messing with his MP3 player. Yoriko and Hide had yet to make an appearance, so it was assumed they were running late._

" _It's… interesting, coming back here," Haise said quietly as Saiko coerced Shirazu to buy her some takoyaki. "I honestly never thought I'd get the chance."_

_Touka reached out to take his hand into hers. "Don't dwell on it that much, Haise. What matters is that you're back now."_

_His dark eyes flickered down to the pavement they were standing on. "I… suppose you're right. It's just hard, taking in all of this, after forgetting for such a long time."_

" _I know." She gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "Let's just take it one day at a time, okay?"_

_Finally… a faint smile formed on his lips and he nodded. "Yeah."_

_They both looked ahead to where the three Quinx were talking amongst themselves. They had all gotten some takoyaki by the looks of it. The human food smelled disgusting to Touka, but at least it was less unbearable, thanks to the morning sickness finally going away._

" _Everyone looks so happy," Touka mused. "Hopefully it will stay that way."_

_Haise grimaced. "Only time will tell, Touka. Especially with the CCG..."_

_That_ was _true. And she had yet to hear anything from Hinami. It honestly made her nervous, but she had been keeping it to herself. If Haise found out that Hinami had joined Aogiri Tree, who knew how he would react. No, it was best to keep the girl's whereabouts unknown from him as well. Haise being a part of the CCG was a miracle in itself; hopefully no other ghouls would figure out that Eyepatch was back. She couldn't imagine what would happen if that came to light._

" _Well, for now, we're safe, and that's all that matters to me right now," she said, looking back to the Quinx. "Like I said, let's take it one day at a time."_

_That was all they_ could _do._

* * *

_Sunday, June 14th, 2026._

* * *

"What  _is_  that?"

We—this is, me, Anna-chan, and Miki-chan—had just stepped out of the sweet shop, after going with Miki-chan so she could buy some candy with her allowance. The shop wasn't too far from :RE, where my mom and Nishiki-san were working, and they had said it was okay for us to go. But as soon as we came out, we found this  _goat_  chewing on some blades of grass sticking up between the sidewalk.

"I think that's a goat," I said.

"What's a  _goat_  doing here?" Anna-chan asked.

"I dunno."

"Shouldn't we do something?" Miki-chan asked hesitantly, tugging on one of her pigtails.

An idea popped into my head and I snapped my fingers. "I know! Let's take it to :RE!"

Anna-chan's eyes widened. "Are you crazy?!"

I just smiled at her cheerfully. "C'mon, Anna-chan, it'll be fun! Let's play  _Round Up the Goat_!"

But it turns out that  _Round Up the Goat_  is really, really hard. We ended up chasing it down the sidewalk, almost out into the street, and it took us forever to find something to tie around its neck as a leash. But finally, after making a lot of trouble, we managed to get a hold of the goat and lead it back to the coffee shop. Anna-chan opened the door for us and I proudly led my new pet goat inside.

"Mommy, look what we found!" I exclaimed cheerfully.

Literally everyone in the shop stopped whatever they were doing and stared. The goat lifted its head and let out a loud bleat. Mom, who was behind the front counter with Nishiki-san, stared too, her eyes wide with shock, holding a cup she had been drying.

"...Did your spawn just bring in a fucking  _goat_?" Nishiki-san demanded.

Mom scowled at him. "Stupid Nishiki, are you blind now, too?" She returned her attention to me. "Hikari, put that back where you found it."

"But it was all by itself!" Miki-chan protested. "Somebody abandoned it!"

Nishiki-san groaned. "It's a goat, Miki. That's why it was abandoned."

But before anyone could say anything else, the door opened behind us.

"Aaaah, so this is the coffee shop :RE! What an adorable place! Don't you think so, kids?"

"...Mother, there's a  _goat_."

Curious about who had just walked in, I turned around. Three people had walked in—a woman and two kids. And I immediately recognized the woman.

"Takastuki Sen?!" I gasped, eyes widening. "Oh my gosh, I love your works!"

I had never thought that  _Takastuki Sen_  would just walk in :RE! She looked just like in her pictures—light green hair in a messy bun and green eyes. But then I realized that the two kids—twins, by the looks of it, had to be her kids. I didn't know Takastuki Sen had children! But there was one weird thing… They smelled… different. I couldn't quite place it.

There was a boy and a girl, probably around eleven or twelve, so like, two years older than me. They were nearly identical, both having pale green hair and shocking red eyes. Whoa, was that even possible?! The boy's hair was short, but kinda shaggy, and the girl's went down a little past her shoulders, with half of it pulled back into a ponytail.

But wow… the boy… was really, really, really, really,  _really_  cute.

"Oh my, looks like I have a little fan," Takastuki-san giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. "What's your name, sweetie?"

"Um… Sasaki Hikari."

Something flickered in her eyes, but it was gone as soon as it was there. "Sasaki… Hikari? What a lovely name. These are my children, Shinokami and Kinokami. Who are your friends?"

"My name is Shirazu Anna and this is Nishio Miki," Anna-chan said, introducing them.

The goat bleated like it wanted to be introduced, too.

"And this is our pet goat!" I declared triumphantly.

"It is  _not_  your pet goat."

Uh oh, Mom had come out from behind the counter. She didn't look very happy, with her hands on her hips and all. Was I in trouble? I just wanted to save the goat!

"I apologize, Takastuki-san," Mom said, pressing a hand to her forehead. "We usually don't have animals in here. I'm Sasaki Touka, the owner."

Takastuki-san just smiled brightly. "No worries, Sasaki-san! Or shall we just go on a first name basis?"

Mom managed a slight smile of her own. "Touka is fine." Then she returned her attention to me. "Hikari, you need to get rid of that goat. Now."

"But-" I began to protest.

"Might I propose a compromise?" Takastuki-san asked. "I take the goat, and bring it here to play with the children time to time. And during these visits, I can do signings to bring more publicity to your cafe. It's a win-win situation, yes?"

Mom's eyes widened. "That is… most generous."

Takastuki-san giggled. "Truth of the matter is, my children need more friends. They could use the company as well."

Shinokami, the boy, stiffened. " _Mother_..."

Kinokami, on the other hand, smiled. "I think that sounds fun!"

"YAY!" I cheered, jumping up into the air. "We get new friends and a pet goat!"

"Well, I can't refuse that," Mom laughed. "You have yourself a deal, Sen. My husband, Haise, is a huge fan of your work. He's the reason that Hikari loves it as well. I'm sure he'll be thrilled to meet you."

"Oooh, yes!" Takastuki-san clasped her hands together. "I adore meeting fans! Where is your husband now?"

"Daddy's at work!" I exclaimed. "He's a ghoul investigator!"

"What a most honorable line of work." Takastuki-san didn't even flinch, like most people do when they find out what my dad does. "Perhaps we should arrange one of the signings on a day he has off."

Mom nodded in agreement. "Yes, that sounds good to me. Well, you came here for the coffee, I presume? Shall I get you some?"

Takastuki-san smiled and nodded. "That would be marvelous!"

Life just couldn't get anymore exciting!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge time skip, but it needed to be done to push through my writer's block. Everything that happened in the decade long time skip will be covered through flashbacks, so please don't worry! All will be explained in due time.
> 
> TG:BB is meant to be mostly in Hikari's pov, and I prefer first person over third person, so that is what you'll be getting for most of the fic now. But there will be scenes she isn't included in, and those will be in third person, like the previous chapters.
> 
> Hopefully chapters will be longer after this, but as I'm still pushing against my writer's block, I won't guarantee it. But hopefully I will be able to update more consistently now!
> 
> Anyways, that's all for now. Thank you for sticking with me!


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